Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gimcheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Gimcheon: $1,319 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Gimcheon
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Gimcheon Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Gimcheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gimcheon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Gimcheon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,319 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Gimcheon $1,319

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,779 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Gimcheon $1,779

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,239 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Gimcheon $2,239

Nosara costs about 39% more than Gimcheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Gimcheon is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.09 ₩8,091

102.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$34.04 ₩45.3K

79.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.71 ₩8,928

12.07%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.70 ₩4,921

19.19%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.61 ₩2,136

8.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.63 ₩842

107.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.52 ₩4,683

-6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.47 ₩5,939

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.24 ₩2,975

-30.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.21 ₩4,264

-5.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.26 ₩3,010

11.06%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.31 ₩4,401

7.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.79 ₩21.0K

-52.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.71 ₩10.3K

36.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.34 ₩15.1K

23.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$7.77 ₩10.3K

-69.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.24 ₩4,302

-50.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$7.36 ₩9,792

-34.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$6.78 ₩9,020

-76.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.56 ₩4,735

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.41 ₩3,203

53.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.04 ₩2,712

-44.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.48 ₩1,971

79.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.44 ₩4,572

50.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$18.48 ₩24.6K

7.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.31 ₩3,071

25.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.03 ₩1,367

8.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.93 ₩3,895

-26.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.66 ₩877

137.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.15 ₩1,525

32.17%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.5K ₩39.2M

-26.77%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.9K ₩47.8M

-3.95%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$213 ₩283.8K

-54.88%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$44.15 ₩58.7K

-18.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.62 ₩27.4K

159.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$70.7 ₩93.9K

1.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.36 ₩15.1K

-30.55%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$303 ₩403.1K

63.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.7K ₩23.5M

-32.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$66.7 ₩88.7K

-19.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$64.2 ₩85.3K

-13.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$74.1 ₩98.5K

5.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$98.6 ₩131.1K

-19.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$296 ₩393.1K

166.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$244 ₩324.3K

225.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,930 ₩2.6M

-55.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.1

110.24%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gimcheon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Gimcheon

$244 18.5% 69.3% $550

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Gimcheon

$408 * 30.9% 15.9% $56

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Gimcheon

$149 11.3% 29.8% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Gimcheon

$278 21.1% 49.8% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Gimcheon

$137 10.4% 13.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gimcheon

$93 7.1% 6.9% $6

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Gimcheon

$10 * 0.8% 88.1% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $296 in Gimcheon. 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 124% higher in Gimcheon, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $34.00 in Gimcheon. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $408 in Gimcheon – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇷 Gimcheon

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

05:30 5:30 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

143,056

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Gimcheon 13,790 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gimcheon

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

Nosara vs Gimcheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,979 in Gimcheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gimcheon, 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 $1,839 in Nosara and $1,319 in Gimcheon. That's a gap of about 39%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $303 in Gimcheon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gimcheon, where all-in costs run around $1,319, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Gimcheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gimcheon – 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 Gimcheon. 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.