Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daejeon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Daejeon: $1,344 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
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Daejeon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,344

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,344 per month in Daejeon vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Daejeon $1,344
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,104 per month in Daejeon vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Daejeon $2,104
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,865 per month in Daejeon vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Daejeon $2,865
Nosara $3,818

Daejeon is about 27% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Daejeon and Nosara sit above the global median – Daejeon by 0%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.28 ₩9,678

$12.35 ₡5,539

-41.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 ₩48.9K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-39.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 ₩7,412

$7.52 ₡3,373

-25.93%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ₩4,784

$4.41 ₡1,978

-18.37%

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

$1.22 ₩1,622

$1.74 ₡780

-29.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₩859

$1.31 ₡587

-50.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,659

$3.28 ₡1,471

6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ₩4,917

$4.47 ₡2,004

-17.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,900

$1.56 ₡701

39.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 ₩3,542

$3.02 ₡1,355

-11.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 ₩3,514

$2.51 ₡1,125

5.18%

Eggs

$2.55 ₩3,385

$3.57 ₡1,603

-28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 ₩14.5K

$7.43 ₡3,333

46.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 ₩11.0K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-21.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.43 ₩27.2K

$13.97 ₡6,265

46.24%

Apples (1kg)

$11.12 ₩14.8K

$2.35 ₡1,052

373.19%

Banana (1kg)

$5.49 ₩7,300

$1.61 ₡720

240.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,732

$4.80 ₡2,152

21.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 ₩8,072

$1.61 ₡724

277.02%

Potato (1kg)

$5.34 ₩7,102

$3.80 ₡1,703

40.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 ₩3,744

$3.69 ₡1,657

-23.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ₩2,273

$1.13 ₡507

51.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,510

$2.66 ₡1,191

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,426

$5.18 ₡2,321

-35.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 ₩25.1K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-4.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₩3,393

$2.90 ₡1,300

-12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₩4,712

$3.63 ₡1,626

-2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,456

$1.12 ₡504

-1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.09 ₩14.7K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-84.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ₩4,398

$2.14 ₡958

54.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩950

$1.57 ₡703

-54.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 ₩22.4K

$8.52 ₡3,823

97.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,638

$1.52 ₡682

-19.08%

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

$28.5K ₩37.8M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

31.67%

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

$23.7K ₩31.6M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-31.23%

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

$172 ₩228.4K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

78.42%

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

$42.96 ₩57.1K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

19.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 ₩29.5K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-58.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.10 ₩44.0K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-53.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$7.89 ₡3,539

43.35%

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

$304 ₩403.8K

$494 ₡221.6K

-38.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.1M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

84.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 ₩85.8K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

19.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 ₩55.7K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-24.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 ₩122.8K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

18.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₩142.0K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

34.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₩490.2K

$788 ₡353.4K

-53.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ₩391.3K

$794 ₡356.2K

-62.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ₩1.4M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-73.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₩788.5K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-58.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,547 ₩7.4M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-19.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,546 ₩6.0M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

271.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,336 ₩3.1M

$864 ₡387.3K

170.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

8.62

-57.66%

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

Last update for Daejeon: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daejeon

$446 33.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 21.1% $94

Accommodation & Living

Daejeon

$294 21.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 170% $500

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daejeon

$237 17.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 21.6% $51

Eating Out

Daejeon

$151 11.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 40.7% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Daejeon

$138 10.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 12.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Daejeon

$56 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 56.8% $32

Getting Around

Daejeon

$22 1.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 290% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $369 in Daejeon 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 171% higher in Daejeon, 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 Daejeon versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $446 in Daejeon vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

16:30 4:30 PM

15 h behind Daejeon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,537,324

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

Daejeon Nosara 13,810 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Daejeon
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

Daejeon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 37% more than Daejeon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,016 per month in Daejeon 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 Daejeon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,344 in Daejeon and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 37%.

Public transport costs about 555% less in Daejeon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Daejeon, where all-in costs run around $1,344, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Daejeon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Daejeon costs $1,344 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Daejeon. 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.