Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Otsu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Otsu: $1,300 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Otsu
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Otsu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,300

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Otsu 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 Otsu and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,300 per month in Otsu vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Otsu $1,300
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,886 per month in Otsu vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Otsu $1,886
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,472 per month in Otsu vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Otsu $2,472
Nosara $3,818

Otsu is about 29% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Otsu sits 4% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.63 ¥1,364

$12.35 ₡5,539

-30.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.03 ¥5,061

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-47.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ¥790

$7.52 ₡3,373

-33.51%

Cappuccino

$3.24 ¥511

$4.41 ₡1,978

-26.53%

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

$1.23 ¥195

$1.74 ₡780

-29.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$1.31 ₡587

-32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 ¥501

$3.28 ₡1,471

-3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 ¥678

$4.47 ₡2,004

-4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥239

$1.56 ₡701

-3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥243

$3.02 ₡1,355

-49.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 ¥714

$2.51 ₡1,125

80.08%

Eggs

$2.12 ¥334

$3.57 ₡1,603

-40.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.86 ¥2,506

$7.43 ₡3,333

113.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 ¥1,089

$10.52 ₡4,717

-34.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 ¥2,689

$13.97 ₡6,265

21.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 ¥775

$2.35 ₡1,052

108.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 ¥390

$1.61 ₡720

53.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 ¥771

$4.80 ₡2,152

1.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 ¥689

$1.61 ₡724

170.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 ¥344

$3.80 ₡1,703

-42.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ¥303

$3.69 ₡1,657

-47.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥181

$1.13 ₡507

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥149

$2.66 ₡1,191

-64.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥614

$5.18 ₡2,321

-24.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 ¥1,530

$19.88 ₡8,916

-51.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 ¥310

$2.90 ₡1,300

-32.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥343

$3.63 ₡1,626

-40.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.12 ₡504

33.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.6 ¥8,303

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-27.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$2.14 ₡958

46.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.80 ¥442

$1.57 ₡703

78.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.90 ¥4,566

$8.52 ₡3,823

239.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.52 ₡682

-29.61%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-0.13%

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

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-55.88%

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

$115 ¥18.2K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

19.62%

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

$23.03 ¥3,639

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-35.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.88 ¥4,878

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-42.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 ¥8,082

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-28.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.67 ¥1,528

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-72.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 ¥1,948

$7.89 ₡3,539

56.27%

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

$569 ¥89.9K

$494 ₡221.6K

15.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ¥2.0M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

4.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ¥8,955

$53.9 ₡24.2K

5.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.70 ¥5,639

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-35.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 ¥10.9K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-11.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 ¥15.6K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 ¥71.1K

$788 ₡353.4K

-42.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 ¥59.4K

$794 ₡356.2K

-52.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 ¥98.7K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-84.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ¥72.8K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-67.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,259 ¥672.9K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-38.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,749 ¥276.3K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

42.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,814 ¥286.6K

$864 ₡387.3K

110.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

8.62

-75.64%

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

Last update for Otsu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Otsu

$376 28.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 111% $418

Groceries & Markets

Otsu

$331 25.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 6.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Otsu

$169 13%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 9.9% $17

Eating Out

Otsu

$156 12%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 36% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Otsu

$117 9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 2.5% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Otsu

$76 5.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 15.2% $12

Getting Around

Otsu

$76 5.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 15.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Otsu versus $788 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 110% higher in Otsu, 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 Otsu versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $352 – making Otsu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Otsu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

01:37 1:37 AM

15 h behind Otsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

341,314

4,912

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

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).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Otsu Nosara 13,380 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Otsu
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

Otsu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,300 in Otsu, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,950 per month in Otsu and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $569 per month in Otsu and $494 in Nosara. 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 Otsu, where all-in costs run around $1,300, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Otsu 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 $1,300 in Otsu 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 Otsu. 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.