Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gwangju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gwangju: $1,329 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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 Gwangju
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Gwangju Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gwangju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,329 in Gwangju.

Nosara $1,839
Gwangju $1,329

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,038 in Gwangju.

Nosara $2,828
Gwangju $2,038

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,747 in Gwangju.

Nosara $3,818
Gwangju $2,747

Living in Nosara is roughly 38% more expensive than in Gwangju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Gwangju is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.98 ₩7,948

106.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$34.07 ₩45.3K

79.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.12 ₩8,131

22.88%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.25 ₩4,317

35.69%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.60 ₩2,127

8.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.63 ₩837

107.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.48 ₩3,297

32.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.52 ₩6,008

-1.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.71 ₩2,269

-8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.37 ₩3,153

27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.26 ₩3,009

11.06%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.74 ₩3,639

30.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.85 ₩11.8K

-16.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.97 ₩10.6K

31.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.26 ₩15.0K

24.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.15 ₩6,854

-54.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.04 ₩4,037

-47.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.76 ₩5,002

27.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.04 ₩4,037

-47.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.57 ₩4,747

6.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.89 ₩2,515

95.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.00 ₩2,663

-43.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.35 ₩1,791

97.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.45 ₩4,584

50.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.10 ₩14.8K

79.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.46 ₩1,935

98.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.27 ₩3,024

59.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.06 ₩1,410

5.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$68.2 ₩90.6K

6.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.18 ₩4,223

-32.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.62 ₩821

153.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$7.79 ₩10.4K

9.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.22 ₩1,616

24.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$28.0K ₩37.3M

-22.91%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.3K ₩46.9M

-2.20%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$210 ₩279.5K

-54.20%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$43.76 ₩58.2K

-17.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$21.18 ₩28.2K

153.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$51.7 ₩68.7K

38.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$11.71 ₩15.6K

198.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.25 ₩15.0K

-29.87%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$300 ₩399.0K

64.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.9K ₩23.8M

-33.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$31.74 ₩42.2K

69.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$26.01 ₩34.6K

113.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$63.6 ₩84.5K

22.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$88.6 ₩117.8K

-10.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$495 ₩657.9K

59.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$363 ₩482.7K

118.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,164 ₩1.5M

238.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$747 ₩992.8K

90.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$7,812 ₩10.4M

-11.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$6,383 ₩8.5M

-80.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,883 ₩3.8M

-70.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.6

139.44%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gwangju: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Gwangju

$363 27.3% 54.3% $431

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Gwangju

$308 23.2% 12.6% $44

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Gwangju

$135 10.2% 36% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Gwangju

$275 20.7% 48.1% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Gwangju

$94 7.1% 21.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gwangju

$74 5.6% 15.1% $13

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Gwangju

$79 5.9% 9.7% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $495 in Gwangju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays 234% 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 $34.00 in Gwangju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $308 per month, with Gwangju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🕒 Local time

18:01 6:01 PM

09:01 9:01 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,467,996

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Between locations

Nosara Gwangju 13,940 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gwangju

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 Gwangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gwangju is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 234% lower in Gwangju. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $495 in Gwangju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gwangju – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,329 in Gwangju – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,329 in Gwangju versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gwangju but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gwangju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gwangju 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, Nosara and Gwangju 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 Gwangju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.