Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gimcheon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Gimcheon: $1,319 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Gimcheon
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Gimcheon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Gimcheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,319

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,319 per month in Gimcheon vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Gimcheon $1,319
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,779 per month in Gimcheon vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Gimcheon $1,779
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,239 per month in Gimcheon vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Gimcheon $2,239
Nosara $3,818

Gimcheon is about 28% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Gimcheon sits 2% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.09 ₩8,119

$12.35 ₡5,539

-50.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.04 ₩45.4K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-44.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.71 ₩8,959

$7.52 ₡3,373

-10.77%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₩4,938

$4.41 ₡1,978

-16.10%

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

$1.61 ₩2,143

$1.74 ₡780

-7.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩845

$1.31 ₡587

-51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 ₩4,700

$3.28 ₡1,471

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₩5,960

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩2,985

$1.56 ₡701

43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,279

$3.02 ₡1,355

6.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₩3,021

$2.51 ₡1,125

-9.96%

Eggs

$3.31 ₩4,416

$3.57 ₡1,603

-7.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.79 ₩21.1K

$7.43 ₡3,333

112.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 ₩10.3K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-26.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 ₩15.1K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$7.77 ₩10.4K

$2.35 ₡1,052

230.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 ₩4,317

$1.61 ₡720

101.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.36 ₩9,826

$4.80 ₡2,152

53.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.78 ₩9,051

$1.61 ₡724

321.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.56 ₩4,751

$3.80 ₡1,703

-6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 ₩3,214

$3.69 ₡1,657

-34.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩2,721

$1.13 ₡507

80.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₩1,977

$2.66 ₡1,191

-44.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₩4,588

$5.18 ₡2,321

-33.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.48 ₩24.7K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-7.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₩3,082

$2.90 ₡1,300

-20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₩1,372

$1.12 ₡504

-8.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ₩3,909

$2.14 ₡958

36.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩880

$1.57 ₡703

-57.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₩1,530

$1.52 ₡682

-24.34%

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

$29.5K ₩39.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

36.56%

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

$35.9K ₩47.9M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

4.11%

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

$213 ₩284.8K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

121.65%

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

$44.15 ₩58.9K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

23.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.62 ₩27.5K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-61.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 ₩94.3K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-1.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 ₩15.2K

$7.89 ₡3,539

43.98%

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

$303 ₩404.4K

$494 ₡221.6K

-38.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₩23.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

49.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 ₩89.0K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

23.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.2 ₩85.6K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

15.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 ₩98.8K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-4.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 ₩131.5K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

23.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$296 ₩394.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

-62.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 ₩325.4K

$794 ₡356.2K

-69.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,930 ₩2.6M

$864 ₡387.3K

123.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

8.62

-52.44%

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

Last update for Gimcheon: 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

Gimcheon

$408 * 30.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 13.7% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gimcheon

$278 21.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 33.2% $92

Accommodation & Living

Gimcheon

$244 18.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 226% $550

Eating Out

Gimcheon

$149 11.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 42.4% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Gimcheon

$137 10.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 12.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Gimcheon

$93 7.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 6.4% $6

Getting Around

Gimcheon

$10 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 743% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $296 in Gimcheon 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 124% higher in Gimcheon, 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 $34.00 in Gimcheon versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $408 in Gimcheon vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gimcheon

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:41 4:41 AM

13:41 1:41 PM

15 h behind Gimcheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,056

4,912

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 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

Gimcheon Nosara 13,790 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Gimcheon
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

Gimcheon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,979 per month in Gimcheon 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 Gimcheon, 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 $1,319 in Gimcheon and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 39%.

Kindergarten costs $303 per month in Gimcheon and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gimcheon, where all-in costs run around $1,319, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Gimcheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gimcheon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Gimcheon. 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.