Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gimhae

For one person, living is cheaper in Gimhae: $1,541 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Gimhae
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,541
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gimhae

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 Gimhae actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,541 in Gimhae.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Gimhae $1,541

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,437 in Gimhae.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Gimhae $2,437

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,333 in Gimhae.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Gimhae $3,333

Living in Nosara is roughly 19% more expensive than in Gimhae, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Gimhae 14% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Gimhae
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$7.67 ₩10.2K
61.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$48.55 ₩64.6K
26.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$6.61 ₩8,790
13.77%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$3.59 ₩4,771
22.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$1.84 ₩2,451
-5.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.40 ₩1,865
-6.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$3.75 ₩4,979
-12.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$4.24 ₩5,632
5.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Gimhae
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$2.25 ₩2,997
-30.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$3.19 ₩4,237
-5.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$3.05 ₩4,052
-17.70%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$2.70 ₩3,588
32.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$11.02 ₩14.7K
-32.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$10.56 ₩14.0K
-0.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$25.32 ₩33.7K
-44.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$11.29 ₩15.0K
-79.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$3.59 ₩4,774
-55.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$8.31 ₩11.0K
-42.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$6.04 ₩8,034
-73.34%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$6.15 ₩8,173
-38.21%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$3.29 ₩4,380
12.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$2.85 ₩3,795
-60.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$1.27 ₩1,695
109.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$3.38 ₩4,494
53.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$18.56 ₩24.7K
7.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$2.39 ₩3,173
21.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$3.50 ₩4,653
3.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Gimhae
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$1.09 ₩1,451
2.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$3.65 ₩4,859
-41.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$0.77 ₩1,023
103.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$16.84 ₩22.4K
-49.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.28 ₩1,707
18.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$29.4K ₩39.2M
-26.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$33.7K ₩44.8M
2.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Gimhae
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$202 ₩268.2K
-52.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$35.95 ₩47.8K
-0.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$26.53 ₩35.3K
102.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Gimhae
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$51.5 ₩68.4K
39.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$12.05 ₩16.0K
189.71%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$12.09 ₩16.1K
-34.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Gimhae
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$627 ₩833.8K
-21.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$21.5K ₩28.6M
-44.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Gimhae
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$103 ₩137.3K
-47.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$66.3 ₩88.1K
-16.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$92.2 ₩122.6K
-15.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$127 ₩168.5K
-37.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Gimhae
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$491 ₩653.2K
60.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$361 ₩480.5K
119.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$1,146 ₩1.5M
243.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$744 ₩989.1K
90.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$7,025 ₩9.3M
-1.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$5,432 ₩7.2M
-77.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Gimhae
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$2,546 ₩3.4M
-66.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
4.22
104.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gimhae: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Gimhae
$361 54.5% $433
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Gimhae
$488 38.6% $136
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Gimhae
$164 22.4% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Gimhae
$264 42.2% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Gimhae
$175 45.6% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Gimhae
$76 13.4% $12
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Gimhae
$12 * 86.4% $75

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 $788 in Nosara and $491 in Gimhae. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimhae pays 195% 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 Nosara vs $49.00 in Gimhae. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $488, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇰🇷 Gimhae
🕒 Local time
15:26 3:26 PM
06:26 6:26 AM
15 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
532,132
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Gimhae 13,810 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Gimhae

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 Gimhae: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Gimhae?
Gimhae wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gimhae the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Nosara or in Gimhae?
On paper, salaries run 195% lower in Gimhae. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Nosara compared to Gimhae?
Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $491 in Gimhae. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Nosara and in Gimhae?
Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $627 in Gimhae. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Nosara and in Gimhae?
Dining out is cheaper in Gimhae – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Nosara or in Gimhae?
At $1,541 in Gimhae versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gimhae but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gimhae the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Gimhae?
Both work as nomad bases, but Gimhae delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,541 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gimhae hard to pass up.
How safe is Nosara compared to Gimhae?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Gimhae are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Gimhae gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Nosara vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?