Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilsan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilsan: $1,444 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,444 in Ilsan versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Ilsan $1,444
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ilsan versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Ilsan $2,297
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,151 in Ilsan versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Ilsan $3,151
Nosara $3,818

Living in Ilsan costs roughly 21% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilsan 7% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 ₩9,738

$12.35 ₡5,539

-40.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 ₩89.9K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

10.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 ₩9,797

$7.52 ₡3,373

-2.39%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ₩5,355

$4.41 ₡1,978

-9.07%

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

$1.61 ₩2,147

$1.74 ₡780

-7.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₩1,021

$1.31 ₡587

-41.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 ₩5,052

$3.28 ₡1,471

15.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 ₩8,098

$4.47 ₡2,004

35.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₩2,774

$1.56 ₡701

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₩4,212

$3.02 ₡1,355

4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ₩2,981

$2.51 ₡1,125

-11.16%

Eggs

$3.36 ₩4,482

$3.57 ₡1,603

-5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 ₩20.5K

$7.43 ₡3,333

106.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 ₩10.6K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-24.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 ₩15.0K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-19.76%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,894

$2.35 ₡1,052

215.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 ₩4,339

$1.61 ₡720

101.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.75 ₩7,675

$4.80 ₡2,152

19.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 ₩8,115

$1.61 ₡724

277.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 ₩4,682

$3.80 ₡1,703

-7.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 ₩3,162

$3.69 ₡1,657

-35.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 ₩2,666

$1.13 ₡507

76.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,525

$2.66 ₡1,191

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ₩4,551

$5.18 ₡2,321

-34.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.73 ₩25.0K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-5.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 ₩2,970

$2.90 ₡1,300

-23.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,464

$3.63 ₡1,626

-7.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,467

$1.12 ₡504

-1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.42 ₩65.9K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-31.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,851

$2.14 ₡958

70.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩836

$1.57 ₡703

-59.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.18 ₩12.2K

$8.52 ₡3,823

7.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,890

$1.52 ₡682

-6.58%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

35.67%

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

$28.3K ₩37.7M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.11%

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

$213 ₩284.4K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

121.36%

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

$34.95 ₩46.6K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ₩27.4K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-61.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ₩69.4K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-27.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₩15.8K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-66.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 ₩15.1K

$7.89 ₡3,539

43.22%

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

$520 ₩694.2K

$494 ₡221.6K

5.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ₩23.5M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

48.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.0K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

5.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.76 ₩43.7K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-40.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 ₩93.3K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-10.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ₩110.7K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

4.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₩643.0K

$788 ₡353.4K

-38.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ₩486.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-54.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 ₩1.6M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-70.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ₩985.3K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-47.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,213 ₩9.6M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

4.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,518 ₩7.4M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

350.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,453 ₩4.6M

$864 ₡387.3K

299.81%

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 Ilsan: 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

Ilsan

$396 27.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 11.1% $44

Accommodation & Living

Ilsan

$365 25.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 118% $429

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilsan

$269 18.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 30.8% $83

Eating Out

Ilsan

$169 11.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 25.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Ilsan

$109 7.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 10% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ilsan

$75 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 17.1% $13

Getting Around

Ilsan

$61 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 43.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Ilsan and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays 300% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Ilsan vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

13:24 1:24 PM

15 h behind Ilsan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,061,752

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

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Highest

Between locations

Ilsan Nosara 13,730 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Ilsan
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

Ilsan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilsan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 300% higher in Ilsan, 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: $482 in Ilsan versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,444 per month in Ilsan versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ilsan runs roughly 47% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,444 in Ilsan versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ilsan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ilsan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ilsan 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, Ilsan 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 Ilsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.