Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ilsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilsan: $1,444 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ilsan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,444 in Ilsan.

Nosara $1,839
Ilsan $1,444

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,297 in Ilsan.

Nosara $2,828
Ilsan $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,151 in Ilsan.

Nosara $3,818
Ilsan $3,151

Living in Nosara is roughly 27% more expensive than in Ilsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Ilsan 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.30 ₩9,705

69.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$67.4 ₩89.6K

-9.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.34 ₩9,763

2.45%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.01 ₩5,337

9.98%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.61 ₩2,139

8.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.77 ₩1,017

70.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.79 ₩5,034

-13.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.07 ₩8,070

-26.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.08 ₩2,764

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.16 ₩4,198

-4.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.23 ₩2,971

12.56%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.36 ₩4,466

6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.36 ₩20.4K

-51.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.94 ₩10.6K

32.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.21 ₩14.9K

24.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$7.42 ₩9,860

-68.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.25 ₩4,324

-50.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$5.75 ₩7,649

-16.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$6.08 ₩8,087

-73.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.51 ₩4,666

8.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.37 ₩3,152

55.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.00 ₩2,657

-43.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.14 ₩1,520

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.41 ₩4,535

51.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$18.73 ₩24.9K

6.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.23 ₩2,960

30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.35 ₩4,449

8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.10 ₩1,462

1.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$49.42 ₩65.7K

46.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.64 ₩4,834

-41.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.63 ₩833

149.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$9.18 ₩12.2K

-7.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.42 ₩1,883

7.04%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.3K ₩39.0M

-26.29%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.3K ₩37.6M

22.12%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$213 ₩283.4K

-54.83%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$34.95 ₩46.5K

2.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.52 ₩27.3K

161.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$52.0 ₩69.2K

37.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$11.82 ₩15.7K

195.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.30 ₩15.0K

-30.18%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$520 ₩691.8K

-5.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.6K ₩23.4M

-32.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-5.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$32.76 ₩43.6K

69.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$69.9 ₩93.0K

11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$83.0 ₩110.3K

-4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$482 ₩640.8K

63.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$365 ₩485.2K

117.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,166 ₩1.6M

237.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$738 ₩981.9K

92.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$7,213 ₩9.6M

-4.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$5,518 ₩7.3M

-77.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,453 ₩4.6M

-74.99%

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 Ilsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ilsan

$365 25.3% 54.1% $429

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ilsan

$396 27.5% 12.5% $44

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ilsan

$169 11.7% 20.1% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ilsan

$269 18.6% 44.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ilsan

$109 7.6% 9.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ilsan

$75 5.2% 14.6% $13

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ilsan

$61 4.2% 30.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $482 in Ilsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays 300% 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 $67.0 in Ilsan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $396 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

06:01 6:01 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,061,752

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ilsan 13,730 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ilsan

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 Ilsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilsan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 300% lower in Ilsan. 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 $482 in Ilsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,444 in Ilsan – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ilsan runs roughly 47% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,444 in Ilsan versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ilsan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ilsan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ilsan 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 Ilsan 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 Ilsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.