Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Suwon

For one person, living is cheaper in Suwon: $1,363 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Suwon
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Suwon Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Suwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Suwon

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,363 in Suwon, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Suwon $1,363

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,148 in Suwon, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Suwon $2,148

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,933 in Suwon, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Suwon $2,933

Nosara costs about 35% more than Suwon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Suwon sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Suwon by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$5.96 ₩7,921

107.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$30.15 ₩40.1K

103.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$7.57 ₩10.1K

2.51%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.39 ₩4,512

30.97%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.60 ₩2,126

11.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.63 ₩836

104.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.86 ₩5,129

-16.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.77 ₩6,336

-7.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.65 ₩3,528

-41.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.67 ₩3,546

15.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$3.40 ₩4,517

-25.59%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.15 ₩4,184

9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.04 ₩14.7K

-33.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$11.50 ₩15.3K

-10.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$11.06 ₩14.7K

27.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$6.28 ₩8,355

-63.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.95 ₩3,916

-44.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$5.29 ₩7,030

-9.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.44 ₩5,910

-63.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.45 ₩4,590

11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.64 ₩3,516

42.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$4.86 ₩6,458

-77.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.30 ₩1,726

99.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.78 ₩5,029

35.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$13.86 ₩18.4K

43.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.53 ₩3,369

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.71 ₩4,939

-5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.21 ₩1,603

0.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$47.15 ₩62.7K

56.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.81 ₩3,739

-22.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.66 ₩882

136.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-1.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.40 ₩1,856

10.71%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.4K ₩37.7M

21.78%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.5K ₩33.9M

52.14%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$185 ₩246.1K

-48.78%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$17.99 ₩23.9K

100.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$17.72 ₩23.6K

199.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$44.21 ₩58.8K

66.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$11.73 ₩15.6K

203.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$11.21 ₩14.9K

-29.44%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$696 ₩925.0K

-29.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$18.0K ₩24.0M

-34.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$36.84 ₩49.0K

48.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$106 ₩140.4K

-47.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$73.8 ₩98.1K

8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$59.2 ₩78.7K

31.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$433 ₩575.7K

84.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$351 ₩466.4K

125.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,164 ₩1.5M

244.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$813 ₩1.1M

73.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$12.7K ₩16.8M

-44.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$7,005 ₩9.3M

-82.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$2,576 ₩3.4M

-65.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.5

32.62%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Suwon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Suwon

$351 25.7% 55.6% $439

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Suwon

$394 28.9% 12.7% $44

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Suwon

$149 10.9% 30% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Suwon

$221 16.2% 20% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Suwon

$124 9.1% 2.4% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Suwon

$67 4.9% 25.6% $23

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Suwon

$58 4.3% 34.5% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $433 in Suwon. 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 191% higher in Suwon, 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 $30.00 in Suwon. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $394 in Suwon – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇷 Suwon

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

06:44 6:44 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,203,000

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Suwon 13,750 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Suwon

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 Suwon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,363 in Suwon – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,045 in Suwon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 57% less in Suwon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $696 in Suwon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Suwon, where all-in costs run around $1,363, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Suwon 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 $1,363 in Suwon to $1,835 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 Suwon. 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.