Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Yamaguchi

For one person, living is cheaper in Yamaguchi: $1,200 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Yamaguchi
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Yamaguchi Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Yamaguchi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Yamaguchi

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,200 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Yamaguchi $1,200

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,848 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Yamaguchi $1,848

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,496 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Yamaguchi $2,496

Nosara costs about 53% more than Yamaguchi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Yamaguchi is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.75 ¥593

229.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$32.14 ¥5,077

90.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.91 ¥776

53.16%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.75 ¥593

17.60%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.04 ¥164

67.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.71 ¥111

84.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.86 ¥609

-15.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.17 ¥342

105.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.54 ¥244

1.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.82 ¥288

65.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$6.56 ¥1,037

-61.74%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.25 ¥356

58.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$17.95 ¥2,836

-58.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.31 ¥840

98.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.56 ¥2,932

-24.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.64 ¥575

-35.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.82 ¥287

-11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.88 ¥455

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.39 ¥535

-52.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.16 ¥341

75.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.62 ¥414

40.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.02 ¥161

10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.98 ¥155

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.00 ¥633

29.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.26 ¥989

217.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.65 ¥261

75.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.83 ¥289

98.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.50 ¥237

-25.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$56.6 ¥8,945

28.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.83 ¥605

-44.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.07 ¥327

-24.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$18.10 ¥2,860

-52.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.10 ¥174

38.18%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

0.30%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.1K ¥2.7M

101.27%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$215 ¥33.9K

-55.17%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$24.86 ¥3,928

44.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$33.35 ¥5,269

60.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$58.0 ¥9,155

23.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.81 ¥1,709

-27.01%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$124 ¥19.6K

298.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.1K ¥1.9M

-1.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$48.93 ¥7,731

10.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$26.28 ¥4,151

110.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$66.7 ¥10.5K

16.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$47.51 ¥7,506

67.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$404 ¥63.8K

95.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$250 ¥39.5K

217.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$790 ¥124.8K

398.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$566 ¥89.5K

150.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,432 ¥700.2K

55.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,970 ¥311.3K

-37.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

1.97

337.56%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Yamaguchi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Yamaguchi

$250 20.8% 68.5% $544

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Yamaguchi

$315 26.2% 10.7% $38

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Yamaguchi

$120 10% 43.2% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Yamaguchi

$273 22.8% 47% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Yamaguchi

$85 7.1% 29% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Yamaguchi

$80 6.6% 8.9% $7.8

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Yamaguchi

$77 6.4% 11.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $404 in Yamaguchi. 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 Yamaguchi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $315 – making Yamaguchi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Yamaguchi

🕒 Local time

05:01 5:01 AM

20:01 8:01 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

193,966

💱 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 →

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Nosara Yamaguchi 13,740 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Yamaguchi

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 Yamaguchi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,200 in Yamaguchi – roughly 53% 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 $1,800 in Yamaguchi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 28% less in Yamaguchi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $124 in Yamaguchi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yamaguchi, where all-in costs run around $1,200, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Yamaguchi 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 $1,200 in Yamaguchi 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 Yamaguchi. 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.