Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ansan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ansan: $1,404 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Ansan
Learn more

Ansan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Ansan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,404

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ansan versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Ansan $1,404
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Ansan versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Ansan $2,148
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,892 in Ansan versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Ansan $2,892
Nosara $3,818

Living in Ansan costs roughly 24% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ansan 4% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.57 ₩10.1K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-38.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.22 ₩46.8K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-42.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 ₩8,887

$7.52 ₡3,373

-11.17%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ₩5,336

$4.41 ₡1,978

-9.07%

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

$1.55 ₩2,063

$1.74 ₡780

-10.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₩1,015

$1.31 ₡587

-41.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,659

$3.28 ₡1,471

6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ₩6,128

$4.47 ₡2,004

3.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ₩2,702

$1.56 ₡701

30.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 ₩4,038

$3.02 ₡1,355

0.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 ₩3,114

$2.51 ₡1,125

-6.77%

Eggs

$3.52 ₩4,675

$3.57 ₡1,603

-1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.62 ₩20.8K

$7.43 ₡3,333

110.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 ₩10.8K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-23.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 ₩22.8K

$13.97 ₡6,265

22.69%

Apples (1kg)

$7.58 ₩10.1K

$2.35 ₡1,052

222.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 ₩4,223

$1.61 ₡720

97.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,573

$4.80 ₡2,152

18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.10 ₩8,104

$1.61 ₡724

278.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 ₩4,972

$3.80 ₡1,703

-1.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,376

$3.69 ₡1,657

-31.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩2,759

$1.13 ₡507

84.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,537

$2.66 ₡1,191

-56.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩4,417

$5.18 ₡2,321

-35.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.70 ₩24.9K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-5.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₩3,012

$2.90 ₡1,300

-21.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₩4,243

$3.63 ₡1,626

-12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,503

$1.12 ₡504

0.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 ₩4,827

$2.14 ₡958

69.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩854

$1.57 ₡703

-59.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 ₩12.0K

$8.52 ₡3,823

5.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,888

$1.52 ₡682

-6.58%

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

$29.6K ₩39.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

37.08%

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

$28.1K ₩37.3M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.71%

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

$208 ₩277.1K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

116.44%

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

$34.86 ₩46.3K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-2.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.07 ₩28.0K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-60.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ₩49.6K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-47.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 ₩14.8K

$7.89 ₡3,539

40.81%

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

$299 ₩397.5K

$494 ₡221.6K

-39.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K ₩23.9M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

51.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 ₩76.2K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

6.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.80 ₩43.6K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-40.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 ₩92.9K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-10.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 ₩108.0K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

2.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₩596.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

-43.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ₩503.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-52.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₩1.5M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-71.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 ₩983.8K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-47.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$21.4K ₩28.4M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

208.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,488 ₩2.0M

$864 ₡387.3K

72.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

8.62

-52.67%

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

Last update for Ansan: 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

Ansan

$417 29.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 15.5% $64

Accommodation & Living

Ansan

$379 27%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 110% $415

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ansan

$264 18.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 29.7% $79

Eating Out

Ansan

$165 11.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 28.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Ansan

$109 7.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 10.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Ansan

$60 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 46.8% $28

Getting Around

Ansan

$11 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 667% $76

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Ansan and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ansan pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ansan vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $417 vs $352, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ansan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

13:24 1:24 PM

15 h behind Ansan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

677,710

4,912

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ansan Nosara 13,760 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Ansan
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

Ansan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ansan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 72% higher in Ansan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $449 in Ansan versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Ansan versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ansan – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,404 in Ansan versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ansan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ansan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ansan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ansan and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ansan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.