Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Oita

For one person, living is cheaper in Oita: $1,279 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Oita
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Oita Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Oita

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,279

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Oita

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Oita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,279 in Oita, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Oita $1,279

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,015 in Oita, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Oita $2,015

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,750 in Oita, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Oita $2,750

Nosara costs about 44% more than Oita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Oita is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.34 ¥1,159

68.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$43.25 ¥6,833

41.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.83 ¥921

28.99%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.75 ¥592

17.60%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₡780

$1.00 ¥158

74.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.72 ¥114

81.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.76 ¥595

-12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.16 ¥342

106.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.55 ¥245

0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.86 ¥294

62.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$6.62 ¥1,046

-62.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.22 ¥351

60.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$18.34 ¥2,897

-59.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.23 ¥826

101.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.72 ¥2,957

-25.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.65 ¥577

-35.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.84 ¥291

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.77 ¥438

73.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.30 ¥522

-51.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.14 ¥338

77.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.55 ¥402

44.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.03 ¥162

9.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.92 ¥145

189.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.80 ¥600

36.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.13 ¥968

224.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.71 ¥270

69.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.84 ¥290

97.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.69 ¥267

-33.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$52.2 ¥8,243

39.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.84 ¥607

-44.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.09 ¥330

-24.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$17.75 ¥2,804

-52.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.07 ¥169

42.06%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

0.37%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.2K ¥2.7M

101.23%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$214 ¥33.8K

-54.94%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$24.58 ¥3,884

46.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$33.56 ¥5,302

59.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$51.4 ¥8,122

39.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.13 ¥1,758

-29.11%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$494 ₡221.6K

$126 ¥19.9K

291.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.4K ¥2.0M

-4.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$48.61 ¥7,679

10.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$25.85 ¥4,083

114.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$66.3 ¥10.5K

17.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$47.05 ¥7,433

69.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$464 ¥73.3K

69.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$310 ¥49.0K

156.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,229 ¥194.2K

220.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$718 ¥113.4K

97.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,620 ¥571.9K

90.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,555 ¥245.6K

-21.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

1.97

337.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Oita: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Oita

$310 24.2% 61% $484

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Oita

$315 24.6% 10.6% $37

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Oita

$151 11.8% 28.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Oita

$272 21.3% 46.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Oita

$85 6.6% 29.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Oita

$74 5.8% 15.7% $14

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Oita

$73 5.7% 15.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $464 in Oita. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $43.00 in Oita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $315 – making Oita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Oita

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

23:36 11:36 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

475,614

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Oita 13,800 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Oita

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nosara vs Oita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,279 in Oita – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,919 in Oita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Oita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $126 in Oita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Oita, where all-in costs run around $1,279, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Oita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,279 in Oita to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Oita. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.