Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gyeongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeongju: $1,228 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
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Gyeongju Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gyeongju

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,228 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Gyeongju $1,228

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,988 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Gyeongju $1,988

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,748 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Gyeongju $2,748

Nosara costs about 50% more than Gyeongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Gyeongju is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.61 ₩10.1K

62.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$48.01 ₩63.8K

27.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.51 ₩8,653

15.51%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.02 ₩4,012

46.03%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.10 ₩1,457

58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.35 ₩469

274.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.59 ₩3,442

26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.34 ₩5,764

3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.31 ₩3,073

-32.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.47 ₩3,280

22.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.13 ₩4,164

-19.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.60 ₩3,451

37.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.06 ₩14.7K

-32.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$10.33 ₩13.7K

1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-24.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.50 ₩5,985

-47.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.57 ₩3,411

-37.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.82 ₩5,075

25.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.67 ₩4,879

-56.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.56 ₩3,398

48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.18 ₩2,897

69.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.19 ₩2,917

-48.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.33 ₩1,766

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.44 ₩4,571

50.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.77 ₩19.6K

34.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.14 ₩1,515

154.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.22 ₩2,949

63.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.06 ₩1,409

5.66%

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

$0.79 ₩1,046

98.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$16.57 ₩22.0K

-48.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.02 ₩1,354

49.02%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.6K ₩39.3M

-26.89%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.0K ₩45.2M

1.46%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$80.6 ₩107.1K

19.54%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$36.83 ₩49.0K

-2.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$27.20 ₩36.2K

97.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$52.1 ₩69.3K

37.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$11.96 ₩15.9K

191.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.04 ₩14.7K

-28.53%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$639 ₩849.8K

-22.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$22.2K ₩29.5M

-46.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$45.34 ₩60.3K

18.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$22.41 ₩29.8K

147.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$91.7 ₩121.9K

-15.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$128 ₩170.8K

-38.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$478 ₩635.9K

64.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$366 ₩486.7K

117.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,163 ₩1.5M

238.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$732 ₩972.7K

93.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$7,249 ₩9.6M

-4.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$5,416 ₩7.2M

-77.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,841 ₩2.4M

-53.08%

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 Gyeongju: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Gyeongju

$366 29.8% 53.9% $428

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Gyeongju

$359 29.2% 1.9% $6.6

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Gyeongju

$144 11.7% 32% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Gyeongju

$145 11.8% 22.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Gyeongju

$130 10.6% 7.9% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gyeongju

$74 6% 15.1% $13

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Gyeongju

$11 * 0.9% 87.3% $76

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 $478 in Gyeongju. 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 113% higher in Gyeongju, 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 $48.00 in Gyeongju. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $359 in Gyeongju – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🕒 Local time

21:44 9:44 PM

12:44 12:44 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

258,156

💱 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 Gyeongju 13,740 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gyeongju

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 Gyeongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 50%, 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 $1,843 in Gyeongju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gyeongju, 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 $1,228 in Gyeongju. That's a gap of about 50%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $639 in Gyeongju. 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 Gyeongju, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Gyeongju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gyeongju – 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 Gyeongju. 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.