Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Wonju

For one person, living is cheaper in Wonju: $1,526 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Wonju
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,526
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Wonju

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,526 in Wonju, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Wonju $1,526

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,418 in Wonju, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Wonju $2,418

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,309 in Wonju, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Wonju $3,309

Nosara costs about 20% more than Wonju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Wonju sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Wonju by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Wonju
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$7.45 ₩9,900
65.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$48.19 ₩64.1K
26.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$6.69 ₩8,892
12.41%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$3.65 ₩4,859
20.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$1.79 ₩2,381
-2.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.45 ₩1,923
-9.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$3.70 ₩4,926
-11.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$4.32 ₩5,740
3.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Wonju
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$2.25 ₩2,998
-30.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$3.20 ₩4,252
-5.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$3.08 ₩4,095
-18.51%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$2.69 ₩3,579
32.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$10.93 ₩14.5K
-32.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$10.41 ₩13.8K
1.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$24.90 ₩33.1K
-43.90%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$11.04 ₩14.7K
-78.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$3.54 ₩4,712
-54.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$7.98 ₩10.6K
-39.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$6.04 ₩8,034
-73.34%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$5.80 ₩7,718
-34.48%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$3.40 ₩4,527
8.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$2.86 ₩3,807
-60.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$1.29 ₩1,711
106.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$3.42 ₩4,550
51.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$18.38 ₩24.4K
8.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$2.35 ₩3,131
23.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$3.39 ₩4,513
7.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Wonju
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$1.10 ₩1,467
1.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$3.63 ₩4,825
-41.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$0.71 ₩950
121.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$16.85 ₩22.4K
-49.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.25 ₩1,656
21.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$29.4K ₩39.1M
-26.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$33.6K ₩44.7M
2.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Wonju
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$196 ₩260.7K
-50.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$35.94 ₩47.8K
-0.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$26.92 ₩35.8K
99.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Wonju
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$52.6 ₩69.9K
36.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$12.15 ₩16.2K
187.33%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$11.79 ₩15.7K
-33.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Wonju
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$491 ₩652.3K
0.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$21.9K ₩29.1M
-45.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Wonju
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$104 ₩138.1K
-48.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$64.1 ₩85.2K
-13.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$92.1 ₩122.5K
-15.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$129 ₩171.3K
-38.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Wonju
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$494 ₩657.0K
59.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$359 ₩477.3K
121.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$1,181 ₩1.6M
233.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$744 ₩988.6K
90.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$7,157 ₩9.5M
-3.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$5,494 ₩7.3M
-77.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Wonju
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
4.22
104.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Wonju: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Wonju
$359 54.8% $435
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Wonju
$482 36.9% $130
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Wonju
$164 22.8% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Wonju
$259 39.4% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Wonju
$175 45.7% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Wonju
$76 12.8% $11
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Wonju
$12 * 86.7% $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 $494 in Wonju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $48.00 in Wonju. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $482 in Wonju – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇰🇷 Wonju
🕒 Local time
21:21 9:21 PM
12:21 12:21 PM
15 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
340,196
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Wonju 13,700 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Wonju

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 Wonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Wonju compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,526 in Wonju – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Wonju?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,290 in Wonju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Wonju?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wonju, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $48.00 in Wonju. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 37% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wonju, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Wonju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Wonju?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,526 in Wonju to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Wonju safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Wonju?
If budget matters most, go with Wonju. 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.

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