Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ube

For one person, living is cheaper in Ube: $1,237 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Ube
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Ube Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ube

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,237

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ube

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,237 in Ube, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Ube $1,237

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,931 in Ube, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Ube $1,931

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,625 in Ube, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Ube $2,625

Nosara costs about 49% more than Ube, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Ube is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.94 ¥1,097

77.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$34.14 ¥5,394

79.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.52 ¥873

36.23%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.19 ¥504

38.24%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.08 ¥171

61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.76 ¥121

72.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.03 ¥321

61.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.08 ¥487

45.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.51 ¥239

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.60 ¥252

88.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.73 ¥747

-46.93%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.28 ¥361

56.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.00 ¥1,581

-25.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.43 ¥1,016

63.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$15.58 ¥2,462

-10.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.41 ¥854

-56.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.63 ¥415

-38.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.07 ¥643

17.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.59 ¥725

-64.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.17 ¥500

19.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.67 ¥422

38.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.38 ¥218

-18.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.87 ¥138

205.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.20 ¥664

23.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.56 ¥1,036

203.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.00 ¥316

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.37 ¥374

53.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.66 ¥263

-32.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$55.6 ¥8,781

30.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.52 ¥556

-39.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.00 ¥474

-47.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$20.87 ¥3,297

-59.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.18 ¥187

28.81%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.8K ¥3.6M

-5.32%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.1K ¥2.7M

101.70%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$142 ¥22.5K

-32.30%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$27.17 ¥4,293

32.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$33.35 ¥5,268

60.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$57.6 ¥9,103

24.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$13.79 ¥2,179

153.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.14 ¥2,076

-39.95%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$280 ¥44.2K

76.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$13.3K ¥2.1M

-11.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$43.41 ¥6,859

24.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.01 ¥4,741

84.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$59.1 ¥9,343

31.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$92.3 ¥14.6K

-13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$473 ¥74.7K

66.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$326 ¥51.4K

143.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$869 ¥137.3K

353.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$660 ¥104.3K

115.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,817 ¥445.1K

145.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,733 ¥273.7K

-29.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

1.81

376.24%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ube: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ube

$326 26.3% 59% $469

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ube

$309 25% 12.4% $44

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ube

$134 10.8% 36.7% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ube

$203 16.4% 9.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ube

$101 8.2% 15.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ube

$84 6.8% 4% $3.5

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ube

$81 6.5% 7.3% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $473 in Ube. 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 $34.00 in Ube. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $309 – making Ube the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Ube

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

23:58 11:58 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

162,570

💱 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 Ube 13,770 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ube

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 Ube: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,237 in Ube – roughly 49% 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 $1,856 in Ube. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 31% less in Ube. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $280 in Ube. 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 Ube, where all-in costs run around $1,237, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Ube 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 $1,237 in Ube 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 Ube. 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.