Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sangju

For one person, living is cheaper in Sangju: $1,418 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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 Sangju
Learn more

Sangju Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Sangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,418

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sangju

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,418 in Sangju, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Sangju $1,418

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,194 in Sangju, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Sangju $2,194

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,970 in Sangju, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Sangju $2,970

Nosara costs about 30% more than Sangju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Sangju sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Sangju by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.08 ₩8,086

103.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$34.36 ₩45.7K

78.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.65 ₩8,846

13.08%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.71 ₩4,939

18.87%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.55 ₩2,055

12.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.58 ₩775

125.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.54 ₩4,708

-7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.38 ₩5,817

2.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.26 ₩3,005

-30.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.02 ₩4,020

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.30 ₩3,058

9.13%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.31 ₩4,399

7.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.56 ₩20.7K

-52.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.62 ₩10.1K

38.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.32 ₩15.1K

23.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$7.57 ₩10.1K

-68.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.26 ₩4,335

-50.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$7.57 ₩10.1K

-36.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$7.12 ₩9,462

-77.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.54 ₩4,701

7.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.37 ₩3,154

55.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.00 ₩2,657

-43.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.33 ₩1,769

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.29 ₩4,379

57.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$18.50 ₩24.6K

7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.20 ₩2,921

31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.47 ₩4,609

4.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.15 ₩1,523

-2.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.74 ₩4,977

-42.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.61 ₩817

157.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$12.83 ₩17.1K

-33.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.39 ₩1,855

9.35%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$28.9K ₩38.4M

-25.22%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.5K ₩47.3M

-2.88%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$208 ₩276.1K

-53.62%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$43.09 ₩57.3K

-16.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.94 ₩27.8K

155.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$51.5 ₩68.5K

38.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$12.08 ₩16.1K

188.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.00 ₩14.6K

-28.27%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$297 ₩394.3K

66.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.8K ₩23.7M

-33.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$64.8 ₩86.1K

-16.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$63.2 ₩84.0K

-12.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$75.4 ₩100.3K

3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$100 ₩133.0K

-20.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$492 ₩653.6K

60.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$365 ₩485.9K

117.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,160 ₩1.5M

239.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$757 ₩1.0M

87.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$7,193 ₩9.6M

-3.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$5,380 ₩7.2M

-77.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,433 ₩1.9M

-39.73%

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 Sangju: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Sangju

$365 25.8% 54% $429

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Sangju

$412 29% 16.8% $59

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Sangju

$148 10.5% 30.1% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Sangju

$272 19.2% 46.2% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sangju

$137 9.6% 13.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sangju

$74 5.2% 15.9% $14

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sangju

$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 $492 in Sangju. 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 66% higher in Sangju, 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 $34.00 in Sangju. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $412 in Sangju – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇷 Sangju

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

01:24 1:24 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

100,947

💱 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 Sangju 13,760 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sangju

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 Sangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,418 in Sangju – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,127 in Sangju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sangju, 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 $34.00 in Sangju. 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sangju, where all-in costs run around $1,418, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sangju 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 $1,418 in Sangju to $1,839 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 Sangju. 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.