Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Okayama

For one person, living is cheaper in Okayama: $975 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Okayama
🇯🇵 Japan
$975
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Okayama

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 Okayama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $975 in Okayama, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,835
  • Okayama $975

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,564 in Okayama, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,825
  • Okayama $1,564

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,153 in Okayama, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,814
  • Okayama $2,153

Nosara costs about 88% more than Okayama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Okayama is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Okayama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ₡5,535
$5.90 ¥933
109.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 ₡27.5K
$24.92 ¥3,937
146.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.76 ₡3,481
$5.01 ¥791
54.89%
Cappuccino
$4.44 ₡1,992
$1.71 ¥270
159.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₡803
$0.71 ¥111
152.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₡580
$0.68 ¥107
89.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,451
$1.88 ¥296
72.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 ₡1,985
$1.92 ¥304
130.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Okayama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡696
$1.35 ¥214
14.81%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,380
$0.61 ¥96.4
404.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,133
$4.11 ¥649
-38.44%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,546
$1.48 ¥234
133.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 ₡3,284
$15.36 ¥2,426
-52.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 ₡4,594
$6.33 ¥1,000
61.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,326
$17.08 ¥2,698
-17.45%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,027
$4.98 ¥787
-54.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡737
$2.90 ¥459
-43.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 ₡2,149
$4.94 ¥781
-3.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₡735
$4.44 ¥701
-63.06%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ₡1,727
$2.24 ¥355
71.87%
Onion (1kg)
$3.75 ₡1,681
$1.84 ¥291
103.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₡488
$1.14 ¥180
-4.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₡1,160
$0.67 ¥107
286.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₡2,295
$3.81 ¥602
34.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.92 ₡8,931
$9.59 ¥1,515
107.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₡1,255
$1.94 ¥306
44.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 ₡1,580
$1.86 ¥294
89.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Okayama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 ₡549
$1.45 ¥229
-15.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.9 ₡33.1K
$52.5 ¥8,300
40.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 ₡973
$3.22 ¥509
-32.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡698
$2.46 ¥388
-36.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.67 ₡3,886
$21.52 ¥3,399
-59.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡697
$0.99 ¥157
56.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$22.0K ¥3.5M
57.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K ₡17.4M
$15.4K ¥2.4M
152.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Okayama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.8 ₡42.5K
$72.1 ¥11.4K
31.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.15 ₡16.2K
$14.09 ¥2,227
156.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ₡23.8K
$25.42 ¥4,016
108.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Okayama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.8 ₡33.1K
$52.7 ¥8,321
40.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 ₡3,548
$11.33 ¥1,790
-30.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Okayama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡219.9K
$578 ¥91.3K
-15.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$14.9K ¥2.4M
-20.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Okayama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.8 ₡24.6K
$49.16 ¥7,766
11.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 ₡25.1K
$35.88 ¥5,668
55.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 ₡36.0K
$60.9 ¥9,628
31.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$97.1 ¥15.3K
-19.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Okayama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 ₡359.1K
$329 ¥52.0K
143.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 ₡354.1K
$192 ¥30.4K
310.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,005 ₡1.8M
$644 ¥101.7K
522.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 ₡632.0K
$428 ¥67.7K
228.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 ₡3.2M
$4,159 ¥657.1K
69.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 ₡554.3K
$1,788 ¥282.4K
-30.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Okayama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$887 ₡397.6K
$1,377 ¥217.6K
-35.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
2.02
326.73%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Okayama: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$790
Okayama
$192 75.7% $597
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Okayama
$311 11.1% $39
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Okayama
$102 52.3% $111
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Okayama
$112 39.4% $72
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Okayama
$109 9.6% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$90
Okayama
$75 15.9% $14
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Okayama
$74 16.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $329 in Okayama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 55% higher in Okayama, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $25.00 in Okayama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $311 – making Okayama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇯🇵 Okayama
🕒 Local time
12:28 12:28 PM
03:28 3:28 AM
15 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
719,474
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Okayama 13,540 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Okayama

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 Okayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Okayama compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $975 in Okayama – roughly 88% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Okayama?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,462 in Okayama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Okayama?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Okayama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Okayama?
Public transport costs about 41% less in Okayama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Okayama?
Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $578 in Okayama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Okayama, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Okayama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Okayama?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $975 in Okayama to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Okayama safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Okayama?
If budget matters most, go with Okayama. 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.

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