Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Otsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Otsu: $1,300 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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 Otsu
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Otsu Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Otsu

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,300 in Otsu, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Otsu $1,300

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,886 in Otsu, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Otsu $1,886

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,472 in Otsu, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Otsu $2,472

Nosara costs about 41% more than Otsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Otsu is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$8.63 ¥1,364

43.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$32.03 ¥5,061

91.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.00 ¥790

50.40%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.24 ¥511

36.11%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.23 ¥195

41.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.88 ¥139

48.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.17 ¥501

3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.29 ¥678

4.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.51 ¥239

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.54 ¥243

96.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.52 ¥714

-44.47%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.12 ¥334

68.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.86 ¥2,506

-53.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.89 ¥1,089

52.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$17.02 ¥2,689

-17.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.90 ¥775

-52.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.47 ¥390

-34.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.88 ¥771

-1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.36 ¥689

-63.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.18 ¥344

74.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.92 ¥303

92.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.14 ¥181

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.94 ¥149

182.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.89 ¥614

33.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.69 ¥1,530

105.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.96 ¥310

47.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.17 ¥343

67.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.49 ¥235

-24.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$52.6 ¥8,303

38.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.13 ¥494

-31.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.80 ¥442

-43.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$28.90 ¥4,566

-70.52%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

0.13%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

126.65%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$115 ¥18.2K

-16.40%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.03 ¥3,639

55.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$30.88 ¥4,878

73.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$51.2 ¥8,082

39.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$9.67 ¥1,528

261.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.33 ¥1,948

-36.01%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$569 ¥89.9K

-13.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.4K ¥2.0M

-4.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$56.7 ¥8,955

-4.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$35.70 ¥5,639

55.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$69.3 ¥10.9K

12.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$98.8 ¥15.6K

-19.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$450 ¥71.1K

75.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$376 ¥59.4K

111.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$625 ¥98.7K

530.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$461 ¥72.8K

208.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,259 ¥672.9K

62.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,749 ¥276.3K

-30.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,814 ¥286.6K

-52.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.1

310.48%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Otsu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Otsu

$376 28.9% 52.7% $418

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Otsu

$331 25.4% 6.2% $22

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Otsu

$156 12% 26.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Otsu

$169 13% 9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Otsu

$117 9% 2.4% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Otsu

$76 5.8% 13.2% $12

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Otsu

$76 5.8% 13.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $450 in Otsu. 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 110% higher in Otsu, 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 $32.00 in Otsu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $331 – making Otsu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Otsu

🕒 Local time

03:07 3:07 AM

18:07 6:07 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

341,314

💱 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 Otsu 13,380 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Otsu

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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,300 in Otsu – roughly 41% 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 $1,950 in Otsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 38% less in Otsu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $569 in Otsu. 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 Otsu, where all-in costs run around $1,300, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Otsu 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 $1,300 in Otsu 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 Otsu. 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.