Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changwon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Changwon: $1,538 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

74

Cost of Living Index in Changwon
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Changwon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Changwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,538

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,538 in Changwon versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Changwon $1,538
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Changwon versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Changwon $2,371
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,204 in Changwon versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Changwon $3,204
Nosara $3,818

Living in Changwon costs roughly 16% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Changwon 14% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-38.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.15 ₩37.4K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-53.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.24 ₩6,968

$7.52 ₡3,373

-30.32%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₩4,923

$4.41 ₡1,978

-16.10%

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

$1.79 ₩2,383

$1.74 ₡780

2.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₩1,338

$1.31 ₡587

-22.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 ₩4,023

$3.28 ₡1,471

-7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 ₩5,563

$4.47 ₡2,004

-6.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩2,983

$1.56 ₡701

43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 ₩4,254

$3.02 ₡1,355

5.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 ₩4,257

$2.51 ₡1,125

27.49%

Eggs

$2.61 ₩3,476

$3.57 ₡1,603

-26.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 ₩14.4K

$7.43 ₡3,333

45.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 ₩14.1K

$10.52 ₡4,717

1.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.43 ₩32.5K

$13.97 ₡6,265

74.87%

Apples (1kg)

$11.09 ₩14.7K

$2.35 ₡1,052

371.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.62 ₩4,807

$1.61 ₡720

124.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

$4.80 ₡2,152

67.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 ₩7,991

$1.61 ₡724

273.29%

Potato (1kg)

$5.82 ₩7,745

$3.80 ₡1,703

53.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,358

$3.69 ₡1,657

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,746

$1.13 ₡507

149.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,771

$2.66 ₡1,191

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ₩4,508

$5.18 ₡2,321

-34.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ₩25.0K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-5.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₩3,114

$2.90 ₡1,300

-19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,451

$3.63 ₡1,626

-7.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ₩1,300

$1.12 ₡504

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ₩3,874

$2.14 ₡958

35.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,031

$1.57 ₡703

-50.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 ₩22.1K

$8.52 ₡3,823

94.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,806

$1.52 ₡682

-10.53%

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

$29.3K ₩39.0M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

35.57%

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

$33.1K ₩44.0M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-4.19%

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

$199 ₩264.0K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

106.18%

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

$36.37 ₩48.4K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

1.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.52 ₩35.3K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-50.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 ₩69.8K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-26.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.48 ₩16.6K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-64.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 ₩14.6K

$7.89 ₡3,539

39.29%

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

$629 ₩836.2K

$494 ₡221.6K

27.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.2M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

84.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩140.8K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

96.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 ₩85.6K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

16.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.4K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

19.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩168.7K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

59.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₩722.4K

$788 ₡353.4K

-31.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 ₩502.1K

$794 ₡356.2K

-52.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 ₩1.6M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-68.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 ₩1.0M

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-46.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,598 ₩10.1M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

9.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,197 ₩8.2M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

406.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,705 ₩2.3M

$864 ₡387.3K

97.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

8.62

-51.04%

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

Last update for Changwon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changwon

$483 31.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 27.1% $131

Accommodation & Living

Changwon

$378 24.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 110% $417

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changwon

$261 17%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 28.9% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Changwon

$175 11.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 31.6% $55

Eating Out

Changwon

$155 10.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 36.5% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Changwon

$74 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 17.3% $13

Getting Around

Changwon

$11 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 714% $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 $543 in Changwon and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changwon pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Changwon vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $483 vs $352, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Changwon

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

21:21 9:21 PM

15 h behind Changwon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,055,839

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 18, 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 18, 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

Changwon Nosara 13,830 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Changwon
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

Changwon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changwon and Nosara differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,538 vs $1,839 including rent). Changwon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Changwon, 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: $543 in Changwon versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,538 per month in Changwon versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,538 in Changwon versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Changwon but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Changwon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Changwon 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 Changwon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.