Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wakayama and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakayama: $1,276 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,276

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,276 per month in Wakayama vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Wakayama $1,276
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Wakayama vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Wakayama $2,031
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Wakayama vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Wakayama $2,785
Nosara $3,814

Wakayama is about 30% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Wakayama sits 6% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 ¥1,022

$12.34 ₡5,535

-47.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.22 ¥4,932

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-49.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥773

$7.76 ₡3,481

-36.98%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ¥389

$4.44 ₡1,992

-44.59%

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

$1.25 ¥197

$1.79 ₡803

-30.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥136

$1.29 ₡580

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥506

$3.24 ₡1,451

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥293

$4.43 ₡1,985

-58.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥248

$1.55 ₡696

1.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥242

$3.08 ₡1,380

-50.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 ¥675

$2.53 ₡1,133

68.77%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥334

$3.45 ₡1,546

-38.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ¥2,534

$7.32 ₡3,284

119.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 ¥1,114

$10.24 ₡4,594

-31.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.10 ¥2,701

$14.10 ₡6,326

21.28%

Apples (1kg)

$8.20 ¥1,296

$2.29 ₡1,027

258.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 ¥478

$1.64 ₡737

84.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 ¥814

$4.79 ₡2,149

7.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.94 ¥1,255

$1.64 ₡735

384.15%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ¥633

$3.85 ₡1,727

4.16%

Onion (1kg)

$4.59 ¥726

$3.75 ₡1,681

22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥179

$1.09 ₡488

4.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$2.59 ₡1,160

-66.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥630

$5.12 ₡2,295

-22.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$19.92 ₡8,931

-53.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 ¥393

$2.80 ₡1,255

-11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥340

$3.52 ₡1,580

-38.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥236

$1.22 ₡549

22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ¥8,496

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-27.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥485

$2.17 ₡973

41.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥460

$1.56 ₡698

86.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.69 ¥2,478

$8.67 ₡3,886

80.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.55 ₡697

-31.61%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-36.38%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-61.18%

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

$117 ¥18.4K

$94.8 ₡42.5K

23.12%

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

$23.45 ¥3,705

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-35.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 ¥4,968

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-40.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥8,109

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-30.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 ¥1,771

$7.91 ₡3,548

41.72%

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

$564 ¥89.1K

$490 ₡219.9K

15.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

24.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ¥7,800

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-9.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.42 ¥5,596

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-36.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 ¥9,385

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-26.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 ¥15.6K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

26.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ¥83.1K

$801 ₡359.1K

-34.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ¥53.3K

$790 ₡354.1K

-57.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 ¥172.7K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-72.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ¥116.5K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-47.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,206 ¥664.5K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-40.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,756 ¥277.4K

$1,236 ₡554.3K

42.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,965 ¥626.4K

$887 ₡397.6K

347.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

8.62

-80.63%

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

Last update for Wakayama: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wakayama

$382 30%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 8.5% $33

Accommodation & Living

Wakayama

$337 26.4%

Nosara

$790 43% 134% $452

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wakayama

$172 13.5%

Nosara

$184 10% 7.2% $12

Eating Out

Wakayama

$124 9.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 71.3% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Wakayama

$109 8.6%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 10.7% $12

Getting Around

Wakayama

$77 6.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 14.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Wakayama

$74 5.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 21.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Wakayama versus $801 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 347% higher in Wakayama, 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 $31.00 in Wakayama versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Wakayama vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

14:20 2:20 PM

15 h behind Wakayama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

362,163

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 20, 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 20, 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

Wakayama Nosara 13,480 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Wakayama
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

Wakayama vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,276 in Wakayama, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,914 per month in Wakayama and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 37% less in Wakayama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $564 per month in Wakayama and $490 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 Wakayama, where all-in costs run around $1,276, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Wakayama 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 $1,276 in Wakayama to $1,835 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 Wakayama. 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.