Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shizuoka and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Shizuoka: $1,138 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shizuoka
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Shizuoka Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Shizuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shizuoka vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Shizuoka $1,138
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,789 per month in Shizuoka vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Shizuoka $1,789
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,441 per month in Shizuoka vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Shizuoka $2,441
Nosara $3,818

Shizuoka is about 38% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shizuoka sits 16% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 ¥1,015

$12.35 ₡5,539

-48.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.81 ¥5,026

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-48.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 ¥802

$7.52 ₡3,373

-32.45%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥468

$4.41 ₡1,978

-32.88%

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

$0.97 ¥152

$1.74 ₡780

-44.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥119

$1.31 ₡587

-41.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥435

$3.28 ₡1,471

-16.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ¥605

$4.47 ₡2,004

-14.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥239

$1.56 ₡701

-3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ¥198

$3.02 ₡1,355

-58.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 ¥709

$2.51 ₡1,125

78.88%

Eggs

$1.83 ¥289

$3.57 ₡1,603

-48.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 ¥1,123

$7.43 ₡3,333

-4.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 ¥853

$10.52 ₡4,717

-48.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.11 ¥2,229

$13.97 ₡6,265

1.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$2.35 ₡1,052

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ¥305

$1.61 ₡720

19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 ¥541

$4.80 ₡2,152

-28.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 ¥495

$1.61 ₡724

94.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥239

$3.80 ₡1,703

-60.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥179

$3.69 ₡1,657

-69.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ¥176

$1.13 ₡507

-1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥135

$2.66 ₡1,191

-67.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥610

$5.18 ₡2,321

-25.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.70 ¥1,375

$19.88 ₡8,916

-56.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥233

$2.90 ₡1,300

-48.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥512

$3.63 ₡1,626

-10.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 ¥283

$1.12 ₡504

59.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ¥8,514

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-25.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ¥546

$2.14 ₡958

61.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ¥293

$1.57 ₡703

18.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.01 ¥3,003

$8.52 ₡3,823

123.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥165

$1.52 ₡682

-31.58%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

0.37%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-55.74%

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

$138 ¥21.8K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

43.37%

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

$15.18 ¥2,398

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-57.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 ¥4,764

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-43.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥8,316

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-26.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.82 ¥1,709

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-69.01%

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 ¥1,928

$7.89 ₡3,539

54.75%

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

$320 ¥50.5K

$494 ₡221.6K

-35.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

12.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.49 ¥2,921

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-65.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ¥3,378

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-61.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ¥9,725

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-21.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 ¥14.3K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 ¥52.3K

$788 ₡353.4K

-58.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥52.6K

$794 ₡356.2K

-58.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 ¥171.2K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-72.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 ¥115.5K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-48.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,146 ¥655.0K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-40.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,741 ¥275.0K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

42.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,232 ¥352.7K

$864 ₡387.3K

158.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-88.40%

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

Last update for Shizuoka: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shizuoka

$333 29.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 139% $462

Groceries & Markets

Shizuoka

$254 22.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 38.8% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shizuoka

$183 16.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 1.3% $2.4

Eating Out

Shizuoka

$131 11.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 62.3% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Shizuoka

$86 7.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 39% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Shizuoka

$77 6.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 13.4% $10

Getting Around

Shizuoka

$74 6.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 18.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $331 in Shizuoka 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 159% higher in Shizuoka, 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 Shizuoka versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $352 – making Shizuoka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Shizuoka

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:55 3:55 PM

00:55 12:55 AM

15 h behind Shizuoka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,803

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 18, 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 18, 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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Between locations

Shizuoka Nosara 13,200 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Shizuoka
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

Shizuoka vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,138 in Shizuoka, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 62% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,706 per month in Shizuoka 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 Shizuoka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Shizuoka. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $320 per month in Shizuoka and $494 in Nosara. 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 Shizuoka, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Shizuoka 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 $1,138 in Shizuoka 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 Shizuoka. 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.