Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tokyo: $1,635 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tokyo

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,635 in Tokyo, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Tokyo $1,635

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,608 in Tokyo, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Tokyo $2,608

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,581 in Tokyo, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Tokyo $3,581

Nosara costs about 12% more than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Tokyo sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Tokyo by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$7.64 ¥1,207

59.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$38.51 ¥6,087

56.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.05 ¥799

49.31%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.61 ¥570

19.39%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.62 ¥257

6.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.86 ¥135

56.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.69 ¥583

-12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.27 ¥834

-14.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.53 ¥242

2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.76 ¥278

80.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$5.59 ¥883

-56.71%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.24 ¥354

59.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$10.65 ¥1,684

-30.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.60 ¥1,043

57.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$16.74 ¥2,646

-18.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.86 ¥768

-52.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.35 ¥371

-31.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$4.33 ¥684

9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$5.28 ¥835

-68.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.41 ¥539

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$3.19 ¥504

11.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.18 ¥187

-6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.83 ¥131

207.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.84 ¥607

28.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$9.27 ¥1,466

115.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.64 ¥259

70.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.75 ¥434

28.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.29 ¥204

-7.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$62.1 ¥9,819

16.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.08 ¥487

-27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$3.21 ¥507

-51.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$18.41 ¥2,909

-51.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.07 ¥169

46.73%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

-1.65%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

126.54%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$148 ¥23.3K

-36.69%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$21.97 ¥3,472

59.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$30.43 ¥4,810

69.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$65.1 ¥10.3K

9.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$25.55 ¥4,039

38.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$12.87 ¥2,034

-39.08%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$1,360 ¥215.0K

-64.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$18.3K ¥2.9M

-35.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$56.5 ¥8,932

-5.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$33.16 ¥5,241

68.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$64.4 ¥10.2K

23.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$71.8 ¥11.3K

9.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,275 ¥201.5K

-38.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$702 ¥111.0K

11.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,565 ¥405.5K

50.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,480 ¥234.0K

-4.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$9,152 ¥1.4M

-23.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$4,191 ¥662.4K

-71.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$2,998 ¥473.8K

-70.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.25

283.11%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Tokyo

$702 42.2% 9.9% $78

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 7% $24

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Tokyo

$158 9.5% 24.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Tokyo

$200 12% 11.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Tokyo

$102 6.1% 15.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tokyo

$91 5.5% 4.3% $3.7

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 0.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,275 in Tokyo. 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 242% higher in Tokyo, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $39.00 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $325 – making Tokyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

23:15 11:15 PM

14:15 2:15 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Between locations

Nosara Tokyo 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tokyo

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 Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,635 in Tokyo – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,453 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 16% less in Tokyo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $1,360 in Tokyo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Tokyo, where all-in costs run around $1,635, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Tokyo 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 $1,635 in Tokyo to $1,837 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 Tokyo. 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.