Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsu: $1,269 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tsu
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Tsu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Tsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,269

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tsu vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Tsu $1,269
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,979 per month in Tsu vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Tsu $1,979
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,688 per month in Tsu vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Tsu $2,688
Nosara $3,818

Tsu is about 31% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tsu sits 6% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 ¥1,023

$12.35 ₡5,539

-47.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.81 ¥2,814

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-70.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.84 ¥606

$7.52 ₡3,373

-48.94%

Cappuccino

$2.34 ¥370

$4.41 ₡1,978

-46.94%

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

$1.19 ¥188

$1.74 ₡780

-31.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ¥98.8

$1.31 ₡587

-51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 ¥317

$3.28 ₡1,471

-39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ¥369

$4.47 ₡2,004

-47.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥238

$1.56 ₡701

-3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ¥199

$3.02 ₡1,355

-58.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.42 ¥856

$2.51 ₡1,125

115.94%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥315

$3.57 ₡1,603

-44.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 ¥2,008

$7.43 ₡3,333

71.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 ¥1,537

$10.52 ₡4,717

-7.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.13 ¥5,076

$13.97 ₡6,265

129.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 ¥596

$2.35 ₡1,052

60.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥361

$1.61 ₡720

41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 ¥985

$4.80 ₡2,152

29.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 ¥661

$1.61 ₡724

160.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ¥610

$3.80 ₡1,703

1.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.53 ¥558

$3.69 ₡1,657

-4.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥202

$1.13 ₡507

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥159

$2.66 ₡1,191

-62.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 ¥557

$5.18 ₡2,321

-32.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 ¥1,266

$19.88 ₡8,916

-59.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥321

$2.90 ₡1,300

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥230

$3.63 ₡1,626

-60.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥236

$1.12 ₡504

33.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.4 ¥8,283

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-27.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ¥502

$2.14 ₡958

48.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 ¥486

$1.57 ₡703

96.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.27 ¥4,151

$8.52 ₡3,823

208.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.52 ₡682

-29.61%

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

$19.0K ¥3.0M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-12.20%

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

$16.3K ¥2.6M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-52.77%

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

$147 ¥23.3K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

53.07%

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

$24.31 ¥3,840

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-32.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 ¥6,940

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-18.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 ¥8,195

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-27.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.83 ¥2,028

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-63.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 ¥1,290

$7.89 ₡3,539

3.55%

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

$318 ¥50.3K

$494 ₡221.6K

-35.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,203 ¥980.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-47.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.88 ¥7,880

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-7.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ¥3,941

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-54.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.99 ¥7,108

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-42.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.1 ¥10.4K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-16.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ¥82.4K

$788 ₡353.4K

-33.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 ¥51.7K

$794 ₡356.2K

-58.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 ¥175.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-71.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 ¥114.7K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-48.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,165 ¥658.0K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-39.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,745 ¥275.8K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

42.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 ¥238.4K

$864 ₡387.3K

74.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

8.62

-77.96%

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

Last update for Tsu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tsu

$384 30.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 8.2% $32

Accommodation & Living

Tsu

$327 25.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 143% $467

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tsu

$216 17%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 13.9% $30

Eating Out

Tsu

$113 8.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 86.8% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Tsu

$84 6.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 43.5% $36

Getting Around

Tsu

$77 6.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 13.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Tsu

$68 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 28.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Tsu 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 75% higher in Tsu, 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 $18.00 in Tsu versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $384 in Tsu vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tsu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:46 4:46 PM

01:46 1:46 AM

15 h behind Tsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

279,241

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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Between locations

Tsu Nosara 13,350 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Tsu
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

Tsu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tsu, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,903 per month in Tsu 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 Tsu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Tsu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $318 per month in Tsu 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 Tsu, where all-in costs run around $1,269, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tsu 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 $1,269 in Tsu 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 Tsu. 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.