Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Pyongyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $426 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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
12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Pyongyang

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $426 in Pyongyang, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Pyongyang $426

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $696 in Pyongyang, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Pyongyang $696

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $965 in Pyongyang, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Pyongyang $965

Nosara costs about 331% more than Pyongyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Pyongyang is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$4.93 $4.93

147.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$36.47 $36.47

65.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$21.96 $21.96

-65.66%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.13 $1.13

281.42%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.19 $2.19

-21.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.28 $1.28

5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$13.69 $13.69

-76.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$4.83 $4.83

-7.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.92 $0.92

70.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.37 $2.37

33.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$0.91 $0.91

165.93%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.08 $2.08

71.63%

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

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

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

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

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$75.9 $75.9

-5.90%

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

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$91.0 $91.0

763.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$89.7 $89.7

769.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$135 $135

943.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$250 $250

249.85%

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 Pyongyang: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Pyongyang

$90 21.3% 88.5% $690

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Pyongyang

$45 * 10.7% 87.2% $305

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Pyongyang

$211 50% 0.7% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Pyongyang

$76 * 18% 12.9% $11

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

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 $91.0 in Pyongyang. 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 250% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $36.00 in Pyongyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $45.00 – making Pyongyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🕒 Local time

00:00 12:00 AM

15:00 3:00 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,255,288 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Pyongyang 13,670 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Pyongyang

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 Pyongyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $426 in Pyongyang – roughly 331% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $639 in Pyongyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pyongyang, 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 $60.0 in Nosara and $36.00 in Pyongyang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $426 in Pyongyang. That's a gap of about 331%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pyongyang, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Pyongyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $426 in Pyongyang to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Pyongyang. 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.