Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Shiso

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiso: $1,048 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Shiso
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Shiso Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Shiso

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Shiso

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,048 in Shiso, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Shiso $1,048

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,913 in Shiso, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Shiso $1,913

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,777 in Shiso, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Shiso $2,777

Nosara costs about 75% more than Shiso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Shiso is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$7.87 ¥1,244

56.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$68.0 ¥10.7K

-9.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$6.29 ¥993

23.37%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.69 ¥584

20.33%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.83 ¥132

115.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.72 ¥114

79.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.58 ¥407

25.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.15 ¥497

40.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.52 ¥240

1.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.00 ¥474

2.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.87 ¥769

-48.05%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.19 ¥346

57.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$10.19 ¥1,609

-28.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$6.48 ¥1,023

58.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$27.01 ¥4,267

-47.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.33 ¥842

-57.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.59 ¥409

-36.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.06 ¥641

17.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$5.97 ¥943

-72.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$4.29 ¥678

-10.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.60 ¥411

44.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.38 ¥218

-21.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.83 ¥130

212.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$4.11 ¥650

24.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$7.66 ¥1,211

160.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.92 ¥303

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.22 ¥351

58.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.36 ¥216

-10.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$33.90 ¥5,356

117.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.57 ¥564

-39.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.88 ¥455

-45.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$20.87 ¥3,297

-58.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.28 ¥202

21.09%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.9K ¥3.6M

50.89%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

128.20%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$144 ¥22.8K

-34.33%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$23.93 ¥3,781

51.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$13.58 ¥2,146

290.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$36.74 ¥5,805

100.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$13.71 ¥2,167

159.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$4.59 ¥726

72.33%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$283 ¥44.8K

73.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$13.6K ¥2.1M

-12.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$10.06 ¥1,589

444.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$29.87 ¥4,720

87.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$33.76 ¥5,334

138.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$99.7 ¥15.7K

-21.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$470 ¥74.3K

70.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$165 ¥26.0K

379.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$862 ¥136.1K

364.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$659 ¥104.2K

113.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$4,229 ¥668.1K

67.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,769 ¥279.5K

-30.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

1.78

384.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Shiso: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Shiso

$165 15.7% 79.1% $625

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Shiso

$368 35.2% 5.4% $19

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Shiso

$152 14.5% 28.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Shiso

$182 17.4% 1.2% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Shiso

$78 7.4% 35.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Shiso

$46 4.4% 48.7% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Shiso

$57 5.5% 35.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $470 in Shiso. 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 $68.0 in Shiso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $368 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Shiso

🕒 Local time

22:11 10:11 PM

13:11 1:11 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

36,610

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Shiso 13,470 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Shiso

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 Shiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,048 in Shiso – roughly 75% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,572 in Shiso. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 118% less in Shiso. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $283 in Shiso. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shiso, where all-in costs run around $1,048, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Shiso 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 $1,048 in Shiso to $1,835 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 Shiso. 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.