Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tokushima

For one person, living is cheaper in Tokushima: $1,274 a month against $1,835 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Tokushima
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Tokushima Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Tokushima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,274

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tokushima

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,274 in Tokushima, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Tokushima $1,274

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,039 in Tokushima, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Tokushima $2,039

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,804 in Tokushima, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Tokushima $2,804

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

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Tokushima is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$7.05 ¥1,115

75.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$31.38 ¥4,958

95.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$5.08 ¥803

52.76%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.44 ¥386

81.97%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.29 ¥204

38.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.81 ¥128

59.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.13 ¥495

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.09 ¥489

43.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.49 ¥235

4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.50 ¥237

105.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.05 ¥641

-37.53%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.21 ¥349

56.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$15.82 ¥2,499

-53.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$6.99 ¥1,105

46.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$17.41 ¥2,751

-19.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$8.19 ¥1,293

-72.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$3.02 ¥477

-45.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$5.08 ¥803

-5.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$6.12 ¥967

-73.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.72 ¥588

3.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.79 ¥599

-1.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.14 ¥179

-4.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.84 ¥132

208.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.96 ¥626

29.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$9.68 ¥1,530

105.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.50 ¥395

12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.07 ¥327

70.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.52 ¥240

-19.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$53.7 ¥8,487

37.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.21 ¥507

-32.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.90 ¥459

-46.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$31.93 ¥5,045

-72.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.10 ¥174

40.91%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

58.47%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

160.03%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$114 ¥18.1K

-17.03%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$23.74 ¥3,750

52.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$31.53 ¥4,981

68.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$60.5 ¥9,559

21.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$24.82 ¥3,922

43.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$11.34 ¥1,792

-30.25%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$578 ¥91.3K

-15.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-19.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$49.24 ¥7,779

11.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$35.51 ¥5,610

57.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$60.6 ¥9,579

32.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$98.6 ¥15.6K

-20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$522 ¥82.5K

53.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$334 ¥52.8K

136.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,083 ¥171.1K

269.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$731 ¥115.4K

92.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$4,217 ¥666.3K

67.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,734 ¥274.0K

-28.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$1,386 ¥219.0K

-36.04%

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 Tokushima: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Tokushima

$334 26.2% 57.7% $456

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Tokushima

$369 29% 5.5% $19

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Tokushima

$131 10.3% 38.3% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Tokushima

$170 13.3% 7.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Tokushima

$110 8.6% 9.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Tokushima

$83 6.5% 7.2% $6.4

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Tokushima

$78 6.1% 12.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $522 in Tokushima. 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 56% higher in Tokushima, 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 $31.00 in Tokushima. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $369 in Tokushima – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Tokushima

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

13:09 1:09 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

252,391

💱 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 →

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Nosara Tokushima 13,540 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Tokushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,274 in Tokushima – roughly 44% 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 $1,911 in Tokushima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tokushima, 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 Tokushima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $578 in Tokushima. 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 Tokushima, where all-in costs run around $1,274, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Tokushima 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 $1,274 in Tokushima 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 Tokushima. 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.