Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Iksan

For one person, living is cheaper in Iksan: $1,408 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Iksan
Learn more

Iksan Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Iksan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,408

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Iksan

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,408 in Iksan, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Iksan $1,408

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,188 in Iksan, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Iksan $2,188

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,968 in Iksan, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Iksan $2,968

Nosara costs about 31% more than Iksan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Iksan sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Iksan by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.91 ₩7,860

108.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$34.97 ₩46.5K

74.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.88 ₩9,149

9.30%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.75 ₩4,990

17.60%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.56 ₩2,069

11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.62 ₩823

111.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.42 ₩4,544

-4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.58 ₩6,086

-2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.21 ₩2,934

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.18 ₩4,233

-5.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.31 ₩3,076

8.66%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.26 ₩4,334

9.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.55 ₩20.7K

-52.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.74 ₩10.3K

35.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.13 ₩14.8K

25.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$7.61 ₩10.1K

-69.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.20 ₩4,255

-49.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$7.38 ₩9,806

-34.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$6.98 ₩9,281

-76.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.54 ₩4,710

7.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.47 ₩3,285

49.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.08 ₩2,762

-45.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.34 ₩1,784

98.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.35 ₩4,453

54.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$18.88 ₩25.1K

5.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.18 ₩2,897

33.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.54 ₩4,703

2.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.14 ₩1,519

-1.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.55 ₩4,717

-39.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.65 ₩870

141.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.03 ₩17.3K

-34.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.41 ₩1,875

7.80%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.8K ₩39.7M

-27.59%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.8K ₩47.6M

-3.51%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$207 ₩274.6K

-53.38%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$43.18 ₩57.4K

-16.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$21.21 ₩28.2K

152.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$52.4 ₩69.6K

36.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$12.04 ₩16.0K

189.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.98 ₩14.6K

-28.14%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$295 ₩392.1K

67.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$18.0K ₩23.9M

-33.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$64.3 ₩85.5K

-16.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$64.0 ₩85.2K

-13.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$74.7 ₩99.3K

4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$101 ₩134.8K

-21.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$481 ₩639.8K

63.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$354 ₩470.2K

124.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,171 ₩1.6M

236.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$750 ₩997.1K

89.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$7,071 ₩9.4M

-2.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$5,496 ₩7.3M

-77.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,690 ₩2.2M

-48.89%

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 Iksan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Iksan

$354 25.1% 55.5% $441

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Iksan

$412 29.3% 17.1% $60

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Iksan

$148 10.5% 30.2% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Iksan

$271 19.3% 45.9% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Iksan

$137 9.7% 14.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Iksan

$74 5.3% 14.9% $13

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Iksan

$11 * 0.8% 86.9% $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 $481 in Iksan. 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 96% higher in Iksan, 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 $35.00 in Iksan. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $412 in Iksan – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇷 Iksan

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

06:29 6:29 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

307,000

💱 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 Iksan 13,870 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Iksan

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 Iksan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 31% more than Iksan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,111 in Iksan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iksan, 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 $61.0 in Nosara and $35.00 in Iksan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Iksan, where all-in costs run around $1,408, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Iksan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Iksan costs $1,408 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Iksan. 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.