Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Utsunomiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Utsunomiya: $1,212 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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 Utsunomiya
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Utsunomiya Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Utsunomiya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Utsunomiya

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,212 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Utsunomiya $1,212

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,948 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Utsunomiya $1,948

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,685 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Utsunomiya $2,685

Nosara costs about 52% more than Utsunomiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Utsunomiya is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.11 ¥965

102.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$17.09 ¥2,701

257.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.72 ¥745

59.32%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.52 ¥556

25.28%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.06 ¥167

64.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.81 ¥128

61.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.09 ¥488

6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.93 ¥305

131.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.38 ¥218

13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.72 ¥271

75.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$5.59 ¥883

-55.10%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.22 ¥350

60.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.27 ¥1,780

-34.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.80 ¥1,075

54.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.84 ¥2,660

-17.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.61 ¥728

-49.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.35 ¥372

-31.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.38 ¥693

9.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.36 ¥848

-69.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.41 ¥539

11.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.97 ¥470

24.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.20 ¥190

-5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.76 ¥120

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.95 ¥623

31.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.52 ¥1,504

108.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.71 ¥270

69.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.64 ¥417

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.58 ¥249

-29.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$54.9 ¥8,670

32.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.07 ¥484

-30.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.16 ¥500

-50.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$18.83 ¥2,975

-54.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.06 ¥167

43.40%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.7K ¥3.4M

-0.26%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

124.90%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$146 ¥23.0K

-33.84%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$21.91 ¥3,461

63.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$30.44 ¥4,808

76.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$52.1 ¥8,234

37.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$12.79 ¥2,020

172.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.84 ¥2,029

-38.55%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$524 ¥82.8K

-5.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$18.2K ¥2.9M

-34.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$55.1 ¥8,712

-2.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$32.36 ¥5,113

71.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$65.7 ¥10.4K

18.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$71.3 ¥11.3K

11.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$509 ¥80.4K

54.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$298 ¥47.1K

166.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$939 ¥148.4K

319.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$803 ¥126.9K

76.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,897 ¥615.7K

77.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,781 ¥281.4K

-31.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Utsunomiya: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Utsunomiya

$298 24.6% 62.5% $496

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Utsunomiya

$325 26.8% 7.7% $27

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Utsunomiya

$132 10.9% 37.7% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Utsunomiya

$198 16.3% 6.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Utsunomiya

$101 8.3% 15.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Utsunomiya

$78 6.4% 11% $9.6

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Utsunomiya

$80 6.6% 8.1% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $509 in Utsunomiya. 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 $17.00 in Utsunomiya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $325 – making Utsunomiya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Utsunomiya

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

19:00 7:00 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

519,217

💱 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 Utsunomiya 12,990 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Utsunomiya

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 Utsunomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,212 in Utsunomiya – roughly 52% 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 $1,818 in Utsunomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 32% less in Utsunomiya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $524 in Utsunomiya. 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 Utsunomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,212, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Utsunomiya 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 $1,212 in Utsunomiya 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 Utsunomiya. 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.