Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gongju and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongju: $1,539 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.

75

Cost of Living Index in Gongju
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Gongju Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Gongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,539

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,539 per month in Gongju vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Gongju $1,539
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,437 per month in Gongju vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Gongju $2,437
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,335 per month in Gongju vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Gongju $3,335
Nosara $3,818

Gongju is about 16% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gongju and Nosara sit above the global median – Gongju by 14%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.29 ₩9,697

$12.35 ₡5,539

-40.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.03 ₩63.9K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-21.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 ₩8,700

$7.52 ₡3,373

-13.03%

Cappuccino

$3.77 ₩5,015

$4.41 ₡1,978

-14.51%

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

$1.85 ₩2,461

$1.74 ₡780

6.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₩1,918

$1.31 ₡587

9.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,104

$3.28 ₡1,471

17.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 ₩5,721

$4.47 ₡2,004

-3.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,004

$1.56 ₡701

44.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₩4,246

$3.02 ₡1,355

5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,197

$2.51 ₡1,125

25.90%

Eggs

$2.74 ₩3,641

$3.57 ₡1,603

-23.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 ₩14.5K

$7.43 ₡3,333

46.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.47 ₩13.9K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-0.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.73 ₩32.9K

$13.97 ₡6,265

77.02%

Apples (1kg)

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$2.35 ₡1,052

381.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.61 ₩4,803

$1.61 ₡720

124.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.27 ₩11.0K

$4.80 ₡2,152

72.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩7,908

$1.61 ₡724

269.57%

Potato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,120

$3.80 ₡1,703

60.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₩4,283

$3.69 ₡1,657

-12.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 ₩3,766

$1.13 ₡507

150.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,704

$2.66 ₡1,191

-51.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ₩4,357

$5.18 ₡2,321

-36.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.67 ₩24.8K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-6.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₩3,166

$2.90 ₡1,300

-17.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₩4,700

$3.63 ₡1,626

-2.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,513

$1.12 ₡504

1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 ₩4,884

$2.14 ₡958

71.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩967

$1.57 ₡703

-53.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 ₩22.7K

$8.52 ₡3,823

100.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,819

$1.52 ₡682

-9.87%

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

$29.5K ₩39.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

36.66%

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

$33.3K ₩44.3M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-3.46%

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

$197 ₩262.1K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

104.70%

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

$36.42 ₩48.4K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

1.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.72 ₩35.5K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-50.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 ₩69.0K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-27.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.00 ₩16.0K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-65.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 ₩15.7K

$7.89 ₡3,539

49.56%

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

$624 ₩830.3K

$494 ₡221.6K

26.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K ₩28.7M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

81.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩137.8K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

92.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.4 ₩88.3K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

19.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 ₩125.9K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

21.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩168.5K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

59.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₩650.1K

$788 ₡353.4K

-37.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₩484.6K

$794 ₡356.2K

-54.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 ₩1.5M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-70.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 ₩1.0M

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-46.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,239 ₩9.6M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

4.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,410 ₩7.2M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

341.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,309 ₩1.7M

$864 ₡387.3K

51.56%

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 Gongju: 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

Gongju

$486 31.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 27.5% $134

Accommodation & Living

Gongju

$364 23.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 118% $430

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gongju

$260 16.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 28.6% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Gongju

$176 11.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 31.8% $56

Eating Out

Gongju

$164 10.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 29% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Gongju

$75 4.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 15.7% $12

Getting Around

Gongju

$12 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 635% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Gongju 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 52% higher in Gongju, 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 $48.00 in Gongju versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $486 in Gongju vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gongju

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

16:48 4:48 PM

15 h behind Gongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,428

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gongju Nosara 13,820 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Gongju
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

Gongju vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,539 in Gongju, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,308 per month in Gongju 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 Gongju, 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 $1,539 in Gongju and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 20%.

Kindergarten costs $624 per month in Gongju and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gongju, where all-in costs run around $1,539, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Gongju 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 $1,539 in Gongju 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 Gongju. 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.