Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Incheon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Incheon: $1,373 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Incheon
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Incheon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Incheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,373

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,373 per month in Incheon vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Incheon $1,373
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,106 per month in Incheon vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Incheon $2,106
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,839 per month in Incheon vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Incheon $2,839
Nosara $3,818

Incheon is about 25% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Incheon and Nosara sit above the global median – Incheon by 2%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 ₩7,874

$12.35 ₡5,539

-52.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.73 ₩46.2K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-43.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 ₩8,703

$7.52 ₡3,373

-12.90%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩4,988

$4.41 ₡1,978

-14.97%

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

$1.61 ₩2,147

$1.74 ₡780

-7.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₩851

$1.31 ₡587

-51.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 ₩4,544

$3.28 ₡1,471

4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 ₩6,162

$4.47 ₡2,004

3.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,715

$1.56 ₡701

30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,160

$3.02 ₡1,355

3.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 ₩3,109

$2.51 ₡1,125

-6.77%

Eggs

$3.33 ₩4,427

$3.57 ₡1,603

-6.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 ₩20.6K

$7.43 ₡3,333

108.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 ₩10.5K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-25.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 ₩14.7K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-20.83%

Apples (1kg)

$7.84 ₩10.4K

$2.35 ₡1,052

233.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,206

$1.61 ₡720

96.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 ₩7,529

$4.80 ₡2,152

17.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.38 ₩8,481

$1.61 ₡724

296.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,585

$3.80 ₡1,703

-9.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,213

$3.69 ₡1,657

-34.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩2,768

$1.13 ₡507

84.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,528

$2.66 ₡1,191

-56.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 ₩4,609

$5.18 ₡2,321

-33.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₩25.0K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₩2,931

$2.90 ₡1,300

-24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,306

$3.63 ₡1,626

-10.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,412

$1.12 ₡504

-5.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.53 ₩32.6K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-66.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₩4,752

$2.14 ₡958

66.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩852

$1.57 ₡703

-59.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.24 ₩12.3K

$8.52 ₡3,823

8.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₩1,860

$1.52 ₡682

-7.89%

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

$29.0K ₩38.6M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

34.24%

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

$28.6K ₩38.0M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-17.28%

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

$209 ₩277.2K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

116.53%

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

$35.24 ₩46.9K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-1.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 ₩27.7K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-61.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.40 ₩44.4K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-53.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.21 ₩50.8K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

9.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$7.89 ₡3,539

42.71%

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

$295 ₩392.8K

$494 ₡221.6K

-40.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ₩24.1M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

53.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 ₩76.0K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

5.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 ₩43.6K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-40.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ₩92.4K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.1K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

5.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ₩812.1K

$788 ₡353.4K

-22.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩480.1K

$794 ₡356.2K

-54.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-67.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₩921.3K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-51.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,723 ₩8.9M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-2.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,498 ₩7.3M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

349.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,411 ₩3.2M

$864 ₡387.3K

179.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

8.62

-52.67%

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

Last update for Incheon: 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

Incheon

$399 29%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 11.6% $46

Accommodation & Living

Incheon

$361 26.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 120% $433

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Incheon

$265 19.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 29.8% $79

Eating Out

Incheon

$147 10.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 43.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Incheon

$110 8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 9.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Incheon

$56 4.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 56.2% $31

Getting Around

Incheon

$36 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 145% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $611 in Incheon 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 179% higher in Incheon, 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 $35.00 in Incheon versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in Incheon vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Incheon

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

13:25 1:25 PM

15 h behind Incheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,870,545

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

Incheon Nosara 13,760 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Incheon
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

Incheon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,059 per month in Incheon 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 Incheon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Incheon and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,373 in Incheon and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Incheon, where all-in costs run around $1,373, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Incheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Incheon – 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 Incheon. 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.