Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gwangju and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Gwangju: $1,329 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
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Gwangju Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,329

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,329 in Gwangju versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Gwangju $1,329
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,038 in Gwangju versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Gwangju $2,038
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,747 in Gwangju versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Gwangju $2,747
Nosara $3,818

Living in Gwangju costs roughly 28% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gwangju is 2% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.98 ₩7,948

$12.35 ₡5,539

-51.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.07 ₩45.3K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-44.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 ₩8,131

$7.52 ₡3,373

-18.62%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₩4,317

$4.41 ₡1,978

-26.30%

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

$1.60 ₩2,127

$1.74 ₡780

-8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩837

$1.31 ₡587

-51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ₩3,297

$3.28 ₡1,471

-24.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₩6,008

$4.47 ₡2,004

1.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₩2,269

$1.56 ₡701

9.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₩3,153

$3.02 ₡1,355

-21.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₩3,009

$2.51 ₡1,125

-9.96%

Eggs

$2.74 ₩3,639

$3.57 ₡1,603

-23.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 ₩11.8K

$7.43 ₡3,333

19.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 ₩10.6K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-24.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-19.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 ₩6,854

$2.35 ₡1,052

119.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 ₩4,037

$1.61 ₡720

88.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,002

$4.80 ₡2,152

-21.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 ₩4,037

$1.61 ₡724

88.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 ₩4,747

$3.80 ₡1,703

-6.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,515

$3.69 ₡1,657

-48.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 ₩2,663

$1.13 ₡507

76.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₩1,791

$2.66 ₡1,191

-49.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ₩4,584

$5.18 ₡2,321

-33.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 ₩14.8K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-44.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₩1,935

$2.90 ₡1,300

-49.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₩3,024

$3.63 ₡1,626

-37.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,410

$1.12 ₡504

-5.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 ₩90.6K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-6.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 ₩4,223

$2.14 ₡958

48.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₩821

$1.57 ₡703

-60.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 ₩10.4K

$8.52 ₡3,823

-8.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₩1,616

$1.52 ₡682

-19.74%

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

$28.0K ₩37.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

29.73%

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

$35.3K ₩46.9M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

2.25%

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

$210 ₩279.5K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

118.34%

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

$43.76 ₩58.2K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

21.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.2K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-60.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ₩68.7K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-27.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.71 ₩15.6K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-66.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.25 ₩15.0K

$7.89 ₡3,539

42.59%

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

$300 ₩399.0K

$494 ₡221.6K

-39.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ₩23.8M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

51.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.74 ₩42.2K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-41.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.01 ₩34.6K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-53.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.6 ₩84.5K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-18.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ₩117.8K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

11.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₩657.9K

$788 ₡353.4K

-37.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ₩482.7K

$794 ₡356.2K

-54.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 ₩1.5M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-70.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 ₩992.8K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-47.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,812 ₩10.4M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

13.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,383 ₩8.5M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

421.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,883 ₩3.8M

$864 ₡387.3K

233.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

8.62

-58.24%

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

Last update for Gwangju: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gwangju

$363 27.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 119% $431

Groceries & Markets

Gwangju

$308 23.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 14.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gwangju

$275 20.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 32.5% $89

Eating Out

Gwangju

$135 10.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 56.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Gwangju

$94 7.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 27.1% $26

Getting Around

Gwangju

$79 5.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 10.7% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Gwangju

$74 5.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 17.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Gwangju and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays 234% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Gwangju vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $352 per month, with Gwangju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

20:28 8:28 PM

15 h behind Gwangju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,467,996

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

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Highest

Between locations

Gwangju Nosara 13,940 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Gwangju
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

Gwangju vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gwangju is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 234% higher in Gwangju, 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: $495 in Gwangju versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gwangju – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,329 per month in Gwangju versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,329 in Gwangju versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gwangju but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gwangju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gwangju is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gwangju 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 Gwangju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.