Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Osaka: $1,400 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,400

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Osaka and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,400 per month in Osaka vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Osaka $1,400
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,991 per month in Osaka vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Osaka $1,991
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,582 per month in Osaka vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Osaka $2,582
Nosara $3,712

Osaka is about 24% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Osaka and Nosara sit above the global median – Osaka by 4%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.19 ¥978

$12.22 ₡5,509

-49.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.80 ¥5,026

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-47.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 ¥780

$7.54 ₡3,399

-34.62%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥474

$4.31 ₡1,941

-30.39%

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

$1.45 ¥228

$1.72 ₡773

-15.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥113

$1.35 ₡608

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ¥415

$3.24 ₡1,459

-19.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 ¥618

$4.48 ₡2,018

-12.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$1.57 ₡707

-7.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ¥207

$3.17 ₡1,429

-58.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥830

$2.42 ₡1,091

116.94%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥321

$3.57 ₡1,609

-43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 ¥1,544

$7.43 ₡3,349

31.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,458

$10.42 ₡4,697

-11.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 ¥2,838

$13.66 ₡6,156

31.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$2.32 ₡1,044

41.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥317

$1.61 ₡728

24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 ¥333

$4.74 ₡2,138

-55.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 ¥649

$1.66 ₡747

147.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥239

$3.72 ₡1,679

-59.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ¥187

$3.57 ₡1,611

-66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥206

$1.10 ₡497

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥137

$2.55 ₡1,149

-66.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥604

$4.95 ₡2,232

-22.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 ¥1,540

$20.01 ₡9,020

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥296

$2.79 ₡1,256

-32.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ¥498

$3.53 ₡1,589

-10.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ¥211

$1.19 ₡537

12.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.68 ¥5,165

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-54.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 ¥609

$2.24 ₡1,011

71.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 ¥504

$1.55 ₡701

105.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.93 ¥3,466

$8.86 ₡3,993

147.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥173

$1.57 ₡708

-29.94%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-1.34%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-56.31%

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

$140 ¥22.1K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

49.90%

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

$24.14 ¥3,816

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-31.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.58 ¥4,834

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-40.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.41 ¥7,810

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-30.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 ¥2,910

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-48.05%

Cinema Ticket

$12.27 ¥1,939

$7.84 ₡3,535

56.51%

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

$511 ¥80.8K

$490 ₡220.7K

4.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K ¥2.1M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

10.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.50 ¥7,508

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-11.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.12 ¥4,761

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-45.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 ¥11.6K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-7.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 ¥14.4K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ¥111.2K

$786 ₡354.3K

-10.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 ¥80.3K

$780 ₡351.6K

-34.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 ¥276.8K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-54.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 ¥120.9K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-45.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,208 ¥981.2K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-10.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,938 ¥306.4K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

61.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,346 ¥370.8K

$876 ₡395.0K

167.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

8.62

-74.36%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$508 36.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 53.6% $272

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$301 21.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 16.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 7.6% $15

Eating Out

Osaka

$130 9.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 61.3% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$109 7.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 10.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 17.8% $13

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 50.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $704 in Osaka versus $786 in Nosara. 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 168% higher in Osaka, 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 $32.00 in Osaka versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $350 – making Osaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

00:34 12:34 AM

15 h behind Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

4,912

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Osaka Nosara 13,430 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Osaka
Nosara

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

Osaka vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,400 in Osaka, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,100 per month in Osaka and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 121% less in Osaka. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $511 per month in Osaka and $490 in Nosara. 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 Osaka, where all-in costs run around $1,400, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Osaka 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 $1,400 in Osaka to $1,837 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 Osaka. 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.