Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Suginami-ku

For one person, living is cheaper in Suginami-ku: $1,256 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Suginami-ku
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Suginami-ku Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Suginami-ku

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Suginami-ku

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 Suginami-ku actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,256 in Suginami-ku, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Suginami-ku $1,256

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,994 in Suginami-ku, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Suginami-ku $1,994

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,732 in Suginami-ku, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Suginami-ku $2,732

Nosara costs about 46% more than Suginami-ku, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Suginami-ku is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.34 ¥1,002

94.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$40.62 ¥6,418

50.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.12 ¥810

46.87%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.47 ¥548

27.09%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.05 ¥166

65.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.78 ¥124

67.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.56 ¥404

28.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.18 ¥503

40.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.44 ¥227

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.70 ¥269

77.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.65 ¥576

-31.23%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.97 ¥312

81.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.52 ¥1,661

-29.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.99 ¥946

75.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.18 ¥2,241

-1.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.81 ¥917

-59.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.75 ¥434

-41.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.80 ¥442

71.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.08 ¥645

-60.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.65 ¥418

43.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.64 ¥416

39.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.23 ¥194

-8.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.81 ¥128

228.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.82 ¥604

35.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.48 ¥1,024

206.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.79 ¥283

62.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.03 ¥320

78.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.39 ¥219

-19.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$46.37 ¥7,326

56.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.21 ¥508

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.76 ¥435

-43.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$20.79 ¥3,285

-59.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.11 ¥175

36.94%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.0K ¥3.3M

2.96%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.1K ¥2.9M

91.15%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$130 ¥20.6K

-26.18%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.89 ¥3,774

50.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.49 ¥4,974

70.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$58.1 ¥9,175

23.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.85 ¥2,030

-38.60%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$631 ¥99.7K

-21.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-19.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$61.4 ¥9,697

-12.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$36.64 ¥5,789

51.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$60.3 ¥9,528

29.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$102 ¥16.1K

-21.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$477 ¥75.3K

65.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$377 ¥59.6K

110.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$979 ¥154.7K

302.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$803 ¥126.9K

76.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,685 ¥740.1K

47.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,700 ¥268.6K

-28.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,799 ¥442.2K

-69.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

331.00%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Suginami-ku: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Suginami-ku

$377 30% 52.5% $417

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Suginami-ku

$289 23% 18% $63

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Suginami-ku

$134 10.7% 36.6% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Suginami-ku

$186 14.8% 0% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Suginami-ku

$117 9.3% 2.4% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Suginami-ku

$84 6.7% 4.1% $3.6

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Suginami-ku

$69 5.5% 20.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $477 in Suginami-ku. 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 224% higher in Suginami-ku, 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 $41.00 in Suginami-ku. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $289 – making Suginami-ku the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Suginami-ku

🕒 Local time

19:00 7:00 PM

10:00 10:00 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

540,180

💱 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 Suginami-ku 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Suginami-ku

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 Suginami-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,256 in Suginami-ku – roughly 46% 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 $1,884 in Suginami-ku. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 57% less in Suginami-ku. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $631 in Suginami-ku. 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 Suginami-ku, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Suginami-ku 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 $1,256 in Suginami-ku 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 Suginami-ku. 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.