Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gyeonggi and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeonggi: $1,072 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Gyeonggi
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Gyeonggi Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Gyeonggi

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,072

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,072 in Gyeonggi versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Gyeonggi $1,072
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,079 in Gyeonggi versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Gyeonggi $2,079
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,085 in Gyeonggi versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Gyeonggi $3,085
Nosara $3,818

Living in Gyeonggi costs roughly 42% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gyeonggi is 21% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 ₩10.0K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-39.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₩80.6K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-0.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 ₩7,975

$7.52 ₡3,373

-20.21%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₩5,180

$4.41 ₡1,978

-11.56%

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

$1.22 ₩1,625

$1.74 ₡780

-29.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₩903

$1.31 ₡587

-48.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 ₩4,610

$3.28 ₡1,471

5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₩3,890

$4.47 ₡2,004

-34.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ₩2,334

$1.56 ₡701

12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$11.17 ₩14.9K

$2.35 ₡1,052

375.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.82 ₩5,084

$1.61 ₡720

137.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.70 ₩10.2K

$4.80 ₡2,152

60.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ₩4,087

$2.14 ₡958

43.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩775

$1.57 ₡703

-63.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₩1,945

$1.52 ₡682

-3.95%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$186 ₩247.8K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

93.55%

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

$40.40 ₩53.7K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

12.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.83 ₩29.0K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-59.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 ₩74.9K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-21.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.32 ₩13.7K

$7.89 ₡3,539

30.80%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.4K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

9.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 ₩55.9K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-24.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 ₩114.8K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

10.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 ₩707.0K

$788 ₡353.4K

-32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₩496.5K

$794 ₡356.2K

-52.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ₩2.8M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-46.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 ₩2.0M

$1,419 ₡636.5K

5.88%

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)

$2,244 ₩3.0M

$864 ₡387.3K

159.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

8.62

-59.40%

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

Last update for Gyeonggi: 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

Gyeonggi

$373 34.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 113% $421

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gyeonggi

$249 23.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 25.3% $63

Eating Out

Gyeonggi

$156 14.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 36% $56

Groceries & Markets

Gyeonggi

$127 * 11.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 177% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Gyeonggi

$84 * 7.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 42.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Gyeonggi

$77 7.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 13.5% $10

Getting Around

Gyeonggi

$6 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1354% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $532 in Gyeonggi and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gyeonggi pays 160% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Gyeonggi vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $127 vs $352 per month, with Gyeonggi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gyeonggi

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

14:47 2:47 PM

15 h behind Gyeonggi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,234,582

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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Between locations

Gyeonggi Nosara 13,750 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Gyeonggi
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

Gyeonggi vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gyeonggi is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 160% higher in Gyeonggi, 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: $532 in Gyeonggi versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 177% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

At $1,072 in Gyeonggi versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gyeonggi but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gyeonggi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gyeonggi 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, Gyeonggi 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 Gyeonggi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.