Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yokohama and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Yokohama: $1,317 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Yokohama
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Yokohama Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Yokohama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,317

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,317 per month in Yokohama vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Yokohama $1,317
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,057 per month in Yokohama vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Yokohama $2,057
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,797 per month in Yokohama vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Yokohama $2,797
Nosara $3,712

Yokohama is about 28% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Yokohama sits 2% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.45 ¥1,020

$12.22 ₡5,509

-47.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.79 ¥6,446

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-32.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥813

$7.54 ₡3,399

-31.70%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥536

$4.31 ₡1,941

-21.35%

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

$1.05 ¥166

$1.72 ₡773

-38.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥116

$1.35 ₡608

-45.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ¥405

$3.24 ₡1,459

-20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 ¥514

$4.48 ₡2,018

-27.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.57 ₡707

-8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 ¥271

$3.17 ₡1,429

-46.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 ¥578

$2.42 ₡1,091

50.83%

Eggs

$2.02 ¥319

$3.57 ₡1,609

-43.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 ¥1,642

$7.43 ₡3,349

39.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ¥984

$10.42 ₡4,697

-40.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 ¥2,263

$13.66 ₡6,156

4.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.69 ¥899

$2.32 ₡1,044

145.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 ¥434

$1.61 ₡728

70.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ¥468

$4.74 ₡2,138

-37.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 ¥675

$1.66 ₡747

157.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 ¥413

$3.72 ₡1,679

-29.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥407

$3.57 ₡1,611

-27.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ¥196

$1.10 ₡497

12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥130

$2.55 ₡1,149

-67.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 ¥609

$4.95 ₡2,232

-22.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 ¥1,023

$20.01 ₡9,020

-67.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥277

$2.79 ₡1,256

-37.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥334

$3.53 ₡1,589

-40.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.19 ₡537

15.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 ¥9,078

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-20.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥498

$2.24 ₡1,011

40.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 ¥429

$1.55 ₡701

74.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 ¥3,204

$8.86 ₡3,993

128.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥177

$1.57 ₡708

-28.66%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-0.47%

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

$18.5K ¥2.9M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-46.56%

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

$132 ¥20.8K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

40.72%

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

$24.29 ¥3,839

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-30.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.83 ¥5,031

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-38.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.0 ¥7,905

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-29.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.70 ¥1,849

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-66.99%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 ¥1,970

$7.84 ₡3,535

58.93%

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

$635 ¥100.4K

$490 ₡220.7K

29.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ¥2.3M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

22.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 ¥9,714

$53.5 ₡24.1K

14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥5,738

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-34.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.8 ¥9,919

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-20.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ¥16.0K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

28.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ¥188.4K

$786 ₡354.3K

51.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 ¥69.6K

$780 ₡351.6K

-43.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 ¥358.9K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-41.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 ¥132.8K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-40.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,367 ¥1.0M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-8.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,393 ¥694.4K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

265.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,676 ¥422.9K

$876 ₡395.0K

205.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

8.62

-69.37%

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

Last update for Yokohama: 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

Yokohama

$441 33.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 77% $339

Groceries & Markets

Yokohama

$291 22%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 20% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yokohama

$188 14.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 4% $7.6

Eating Out

Yokohama

$134 10.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 56% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Yokohama

$118 8.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 2.2% $2.6

Getting Around

Yokohama

$80 6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 9% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Yokohama

$75 5.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 16.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,192 in Yokohama 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 205% higher in Yokohama, 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 $41.00 in Yokohama versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $350 – making Yokohama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Yokohama

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:31 5:31 PM

02:31 2:31 AM

15 h behind Yokohama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,777,491

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

Yokohama Nosara 13,080 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Yokohama
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

Yokohama vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,317 in Yokohama, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,976 per month in Yokohama 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 Yokohama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Yokohama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $635 per month in Yokohama 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 Yokohama, where all-in costs run around $1,317, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Yokohama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Yokohama has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,317 in Yokohama 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 Yokohama. 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.