Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boryeong and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Boryeong: $1,491 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Boryeong, South Korea
Nosara, Costa Rica
Boryeong
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,491
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,491 in Boryeong versus $1,846 in Nosara.

  • Boryeong $1,491
  • Nosara $1,846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,407 in Boryeong versus $2,833 in Nosara.

  • Boryeong $2,407
  • Nosara $2,833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Boryeong versus $3,820 in Nosara.

  • Boryeong $3,324
  • Nosara $3,820

Living in Boryeong costs roughly 19% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boryeong 10% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Boryeong
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.93 ₩11.8K
$12.36 ₡5,575
-27.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 ₩90.3K
$60.8 ₡27.4K
12.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.32 ₩9,710
$7.88 ₡3,557
-7.11%
Cappuccino
$4.08 ₩5,408
$4.40 ₡1,986
-7.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 ₩2,071
$1.72 ₡776
-9.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 ₩990
$1.34 ₡603
-44.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.77 ₩5,002
$3.34 ₡1,505
12.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.85 ₩7,768
$4.54 ₡2,048
28.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Boryeong
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.12 ₩2,812
$1.64 ₡739
29.27%
White Bread (500g)
$3.15 ₩4,178
$3.16 ₡1,426
-0.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.19 ₩5,556
$2.39 ₡1,080
75.31%
Eggs
$3.53 ₩4,678
$3.47 ₡1,564
1.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.85 ₩23.7K
$7.13 ₡3,217
150.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 ₩14.1K
$10.32 ₡4,655
3.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.69 ₩35.4K
$13.97 ₡6,302
91.05%
Apples (1kg)
$7.90 ₩10.5K
$2.29 ₡1,031
244.98%
Banana (1kg)
$3.38 ₩4,491
$1.62 ₡731
108.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.76 ₩7,643
$4.81 ₡2,169
19.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.16 ₩8,172
$1.68 ₡758
266.67%
Potato (1kg)
$3.68 ₩4,887
$3.91 ₡1,765
-5.88%
Onion (1kg)
$2.62 ₩3,478
$3.63 ₡1,640
-27.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.92 ₩3,880
$1.13 ₡509
158.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 ₩1,514
$2.63 ₡1,188
-56.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.48 ₩4,616
$5.02 ₡2,267
-30.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.49 ₩24.5K
$19.71 ₡8,893
-6.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.28 ₩3,024
$2.91 ₡1,314
-21.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 ₩4,337
$3.54 ₡1,597
-7.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Boryeong
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.16 ₩1,540
$1.21 ₡545
-4.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.8 ₡33.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 ₩4,841
$2.15 ₡969
69.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₩853
$1.63 ₡738
-60.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.75 ₩11.6K
$8.77 ₡3,958
-0.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₩1,929
$1.55 ₡700
-6.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.2K ₩38.7M
$33.9K ₡15.3M
-13.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.5K ₩37.9M
$38.5K ₡17.4M
-25.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Boryeong
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$212 ₩281.9K
$95.2 ₡43.0K
123.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.99 ₩47.8K
$36.29 ₡16.4K
-0.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.61 ₩27.3K
$52.0 ₡23.5K
-60.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Boryeong
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.2 ₩72.0K
$67.6 ₡30.5K
-19.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.07 ₩18.7K
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-60.42%
Cinema Ticket
$11.14 ₩14.8K
$7.54 ₡3,404
47.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Boryeong
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$379 ₩503.3K
$496 ₡224.0K
-23.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.5K ₩29.8M
$11.8K ₡5.3M
90.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Boryeong
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 ₩77.7K
$55.1 ₡24.9K
6.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.86 ₩43.6K
$56.1 ₡25.3K
-41.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.3 ₩92.0K
$77.8 ₡35.1K
-10.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.1 ₩111.5K
$79.1 ₡35.7K
6.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Boryeong
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$489 ₩648.4K
$817 ₡368.9K
-40.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$361 ₩479.2K
$806 ₡363.6K
-55.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,184 ₩1.6M
$3,988 ₡1.8M
-70.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$758 ₩1.0M
$1,429 ₡644.9K
-46.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,113 ₩9.4M
$7,068 ₡3.2M
0.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,616 ₩7.5M
$1,197 ₡540.1K
369.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Boryeong
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,484 ₩2.0M
$888 ₡400.7K
67.16%
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 Boryeong: October 24, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Boryeong
$481
Nosara
$351 26.9% $129
Accommodation & Living
Boryeong
$361
Nosara
$806 123% $445
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Boryeong
$269
Nosara
$184 31.8% $86
Eating Out
Boryeong
$182
Nosara
$213 17.1% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Boryeong
$110
Nosara
$121 9.5% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Boryeong
$77
Nosara
$83 8% $6.1
Getting Around
Boryeong
$12 *
Nosara
$89 673% $77

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 $489 in Boryeong and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boryeong pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Boryeong vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 vs $351 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Boryeong
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
18:19 6:19 PM
03:19 3:19 AM
15 h behind Boryeong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
103,620
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,327 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD). 1 EUR = 1,477 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Boryeong Nosara 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Boryeong
  • 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
Boryeong vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Boryeong and in Nosara?
Boryeong and Nosara differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,491 vs $1,846 including rent). Boryeong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Boryeong or Nosara?
Average pay runs 67% higher in Boryeong, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Boryeong and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $489 in Boryeong versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Boryeong and Nosara?
Childcare runs $379 in Boryeong versus $496 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61 versus $68 in Boryeong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How does quality of life compare between Boryeong and Nosara?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Boryeong or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Boryeong 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.

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