Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tsukuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsukuba: $1,104 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Tsukuba
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Tsukuba Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Tsukuba

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tsukuba

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,104 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Tsukuba $1,104

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,754 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Tsukuba $1,754

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,404 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Tsukuba $2,404

Nosara costs about 67% more than Tsukuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Tsukuba is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.48 ¥1,024

90.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$33.35 ¥5,269

83.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.01 ¥791

50.10%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.74 ¥433

60.95%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.03 ¥162

68.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.74 ¥118

77.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.19 ¥347

49.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.21 ¥506

39.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.45 ¥229

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.67 ¥264

80.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.09 ¥488

-18.77%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.09 ¥330

70.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.21 ¥1,614

-27.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.03 ¥952

74.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.35 ¥2,267

-2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.83 ¥921

-59.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.82 ¥445

-42.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.80 ¥443

71.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.12 ¥650

-60.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.63 ¥416

44.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.56 ¥405

44.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.85 ¥134

32.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.81 ¥128

228.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.76 ¥594

37.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.16 ¥973

222.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.80 ¥284

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.11 ¥333

72.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.45 ¥230

-22.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$52.8 ¥8,337

37.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.18 ¥502

-32.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.70 ¥426

-41.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$20.78 ¥3,282

-59.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.05 ¥166

44.76%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

-0.13%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.5K ¥2.9M

86.75%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$129 ¥20.4K

-25.61%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$24.48 ¥3,868

46.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$32.65 ¥5,158

64.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$53.6 ¥8,472

33.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.38 ¥1,955

-36.27%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$94.2 ¥14.9K

424.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$46.72 ¥7,382

15.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$37.27 ¥5,888

48.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$38.06 ¥6,013

104.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$41.11 ¥6,495

93.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$466 ¥73.6K

69.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$281 ¥44.4K

182.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,081 ¥170.7K

264.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$629 ¥99.4K

125.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,648 ¥734.4K

48.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,980 ¥312.8K

-38.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,449 ¥228.8K

-40.38%

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 Tsukuba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Tsukuba

$281 25.4% 64.6% $513

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Tsukuba

$285 25.8% 19% $67

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Tsukuba

$124 11.3% 41.3% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Tsukuba

$187 16.9% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Tsukuba

$73 6.7% 38.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tsukuba

$78 7.1% 10.3% $9

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Tsukuba

$75 6.8% 13.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $466 in Tsukuba. 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 68% higher in Tsukuba, 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 $33.00 in Tsukuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $285 – making Tsukuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Tsukuba

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

21:17 9:17 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

230,398

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Tsukuba 13,010 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tsukuba

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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,104 in Tsukuba – roughly 67% 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 $1,656 in Tsukuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $94.2 in Tsukuba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tsukuba, where all-in costs run around $1,104, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tsukuba 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 $1,104 in Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba. 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.