Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,111 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
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Jeju Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,111

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Jeju

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,111 in Jeju, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Jeju $1,111

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,874 in Jeju, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Jeju $1,874

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,637 in Jeju, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Jeju $2,637

Nosara costs about 65% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Jeju is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$7.26 ₩9,749

68.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$52.0 ₩69.9K

15.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.44 ₩7,308

38.60%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$6.03 ₩8,099

-28.52%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.22 ₩2,988

-22.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.94 ₩2,601

-30.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.58 ₩4,808

-9.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.91 ₩3,907

53.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.22 ₩2,987

-29.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.21 ₩2,968

43.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.29 ₩3,079

5.68%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.70 ₩3,621

32.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.13 ₩2,866

-24.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.93 ₩3,934

26.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.87 ₩2,512

90.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.18 ₩2,932

-49.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.43 ₩579

493.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.41 ₩15.3K

75.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.93 ₩2,594

44.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.72 ₩2,305

105.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.95 ₩1,275

25.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.39 ₩1,862

12.95%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$210 ₩282.5K

-55.57%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$54.7 ₩73.5K

-35.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$19.28 ₩25.9K

167.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$24.6K ₩33.0M

-51.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$52.2 ₩70.2K

2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$29.57 ₩39.7K

88.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$65.8 ₩88.3K

20.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$89.9 ₩120.8K

-12.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$460 ₩618.0K

70.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$382 ₩512.5K

104.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,317 ₩1.8M

193.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,145 ₩1.5M

22.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$10.4K ₩14.0M

-32.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$6,745 ₩9.1M

-82.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,840 ₩2.5M

-52.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Jeju

$382 34.6% 51.1% $398

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Jeju

$139 * 12.6% 60.1% $210

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Jeju

$187 17% 10.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Jeju

$284 25.8% 57.9% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Jeju

$107 9.7% 11.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Jeju

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Jeju

$3.8 * 0.3% 95.6% $83

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $460 in Jeju. 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 110% higher in Jeju, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $52.0 in Jeju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $139 – making Jeju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

15:27 3:27 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

469,279

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Jeju 14,100 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Jeju

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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,667 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeju, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 151% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $52.0 in Jeju. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,111, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jeju – 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 Jeju. 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.