Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daegu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Daegu: $1,569 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,569 per month in Daegu vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Daegu $1,569
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Daegu vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Daegu $2,402
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,235 per month in Daegu vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Daegu $3,235
Nosara $3,818

Daegu is about 15% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Daegu and Nosara sit above the global median – Daegu by 16%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 ₩12.3K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-24.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 ₩49.4K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-39.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ₩7,536

$7.52 ₡3,373

-24.60%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,284

$4.41 ₡1,978

-9.98%

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

$1.56 ₩2,075

$1.74 ₡780

-10.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,202

$1.31 ₡587

-31.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 ₩5,082

$3.28 ₡1,471

16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ₩7,204

$4.47 ₡2,004

21.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₩3,161

$1.56 ₡701

52.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 ₩5,976

$3.02 ₡1,355

48.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ₩3,541

$2.51 ₡1,125

5.98%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,619

$3.57 ₡1,603

-23.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$7.43 ₡3,333

38.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 ₩9,888

$10.52 ₡4,717

-29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.76 ₩27.6K

$13.97 ₡6,265

48.60%

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 ₩8,762

$2.35 ₡1,052

180.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,577

$1.61 ₡720

67.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩7,599

$4.80 ₡2,152

19.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ₩7,921

$1.61 ₡724

270.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,518

$3.80 ₡1,703

-30.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₩2,735

$3.69 ₡1,657

-44.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.35 ₩5,789

$1.13 ₡507

284.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩1,825

$2.66 ₡1,191

-48.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₩3,832

$5.18 ₡2,321

-44.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 ₩19.8K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,848

$2.90 ₡1,300

-26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₩3,317

$3.63 ₡1,626

-31.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,473

$1.12 ₡504

-0.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 ₩101.5K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

5.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ₩4,172

$2.14 ₡958

46.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩811

$1.57 ₡703

-61.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

$8.52 ₡3,823

-5.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,775

$1.52 ₡682

-12.50%

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

$28.5K ₩37.9M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

31.92%

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

$41.5K ₩55.1M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

20.10%

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

$280 ₩371.6K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

190.27%

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

$50.5 ₩67.1K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

40.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 ₩62.6K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-12.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ₩67.8K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-28.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 ₩15.8K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-65.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$7.89 ₡3,539

42.71%

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

$531 ₩706.4K

$494 ₡221.6K

7.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ₩37.1M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

135.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩74.8K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

4.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₩66.9K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-9.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ₩127.7K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

23.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₩218.5K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

106.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩542.1K

$788 ₡353.4K

-48.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₩363.6K

$794 ₡356.2K

-65.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 ₩1.4M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-73.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₩806.7K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-57.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,125 ₩9.5M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

3.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,559 ₩7.4M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

354.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 ₩3.3M

$864 ₡387.3K

186.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

8.62

-41.18%

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

Last update for Daegu: 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

Daegu

$414 26.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 14.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daegu

$377 24%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 50.7% $191

Accommodation & Living

Daegu

$273 17.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 191% $521

Eating Out

Daegu

$179 11.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 18.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Daegu

$165 10.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 27.3% $45

Getting Around

Daegu

$87 5.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Daegu

$73 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 18.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Daegu versus $788 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 187% higher in Daegu, 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 $37.00 in Daegu versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $414 in Daegu vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daegu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

12:39 12:39 PM

15 h behind Daegu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,528,933

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

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Highest

Between locations

Daegu Nosara 13,780 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Daegu
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

Daegu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,569 in Daegu, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,353 per month in Daegu and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Daegu and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,569 in Daegu and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 17%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Daegu, where all-in costs run around $1,569, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Daegu 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 $1,569 in Daegu to $1,839 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 Daegu. 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.