Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tottori

For one person, living is cheaper in Tottori: $1,174 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Tottori
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Tottori Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Tottori

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tottori

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,174 in Tottori, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Tottori $1,174

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,879 in Tottori, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Tottori $1,879

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,584 in Tottori, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Tottori $2,584

Nosara costs about 56% more than Tottori, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Tottori is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$9.48 ¥1,498

30.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$32.02 ¥5,059

91.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$4.97 ¥786

56.14%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.25 ¥513

36.62%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.88 ¥139

103.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.74 ¥116

74.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.06 ¥484

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.70 ¥901

-22.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.51 ¥239

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.00 ¥159

208.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$5.67 ¥895

-55.38%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.05 ¥323

68.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$8.58 ¥1,356

-14.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$7.17 ¥1,132

42.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$11.67 ¥1,843

20.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.24 ¥670

-45.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.23 ¥352

-26.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.60 ¥727

4.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.36 ¥531

-51.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.86 ¥294

106.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.66 ¥262

125.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.19 ¥188

-8.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.90 ¥142

187.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.77 ¥595

35.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$7.71 ¥1,217

158.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.62 ¥257

72.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.54 ¥401

38.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.08 ¥171

12.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$54.2 ¥8,556

36.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.27 ¥517

-33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$3.88 ¥614

-59.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$12.25 ¥1,936

-29.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.05 ¥167

47.62%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

65.01%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$14.9K ¥2.3M

160.84%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$102 ¥16.1K

-6.82%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$24.06 ¥3,801

50.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$31.13 ¥4,918

70.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$52.0 ¥8,209

41.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$12.73 ¥2,010

179.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$12.06 ¥1,905

-34.41%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$322 ¥50.8K

52.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,609 ¥1.0M

79.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$34.45 ¥5,442

59.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$23.36 ¥3,690

139.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$49.17 ¥7,768

63.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$96.0 ¥15.2K

-18.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$272 ¥42.9K

194.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$330 ¥52.2K

139.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,117 ¥176.5K

258.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$743 ¥117.4K

89.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$4,580 ¥723.6K

54.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,833 ¥289.6K

-32.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

1.74

395.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Tottori: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Tottori

$330 28.1% 58.2% $459

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Tottori

$275 23.5% 21.2% $74

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Tottori

$163 13.9% 23.4% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Tottori

$157 13.4% 14.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Tottori

$91 7.8% 24.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Tottori

$76 6.5% 15.1% $14

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Tottori

$81 6.9% 8.5% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $272 in Tottori. 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 $32.00 in Tottori. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $275 – making Tottori the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Tottori

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

05:35 5:35 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

193,717

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Tottori 13,450 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tottori

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 Tottori: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,174 in Tottori – roughly 56% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,761 in Tottori. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 36% less in Tottori. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $322 in Tottori. 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 Tottori, where all-in costs run around $1,174, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Tottori 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 $1,174 in Tottori 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 Tottori. 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.