Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ongjin and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $710 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Ongjin
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Ongjin Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ongjin

🇰🇵 North Korea

$710

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ongjin and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ongjin and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $710 per month in Ongjin vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Ongjin $710
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,126 per month in Ongjin vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Ongjin $1,126
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,543 per month in Ongjin vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Ongjin $1,543
Nosara $3,712

Ongjin is about 61% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ongjin sits 47% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.79 $2.79

$12.22 ₡5,509

-77.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 $23.34

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-61.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 $7.98

$7.54 ₡3,399

5.84%

Cappuccino

$1.16 $1.16

$4.31 ₡1,941

-73.09%

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

$0.98 $0.98

$1.72 ₡773

-43.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.35 ₡608

-27.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 $6.64

$3.24 ₡1,459

104.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.48 ₡2,018

-49.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.57 ₡707

-40.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 $1.57

$3.17 ₡1,429

-50.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.42 ₡1,091

-6.61%

Eggs

$3.28 $3.28

$3.57 ₡1,609

-8.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$7.43 ₡3,349

-37.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$10.42 ₡4,697

-78.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$13.66 ₡6,156

-58.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.80 $6.80

$2.32 ₡1,044

193.10%

Banana (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$1.61 ₡728

187.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$4.74 ₡2,138

-50.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.66 ₡747

37.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.72 ₡1,679

-5.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.57 ₡1,611

-6.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.10 ₡497

110.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 $0.43

$2.55 ₡1,149

-83.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.95 ₡2,232

-5.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 $7.81

$20.01 ₡9,020

-60.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.79 ₡1,256

-60.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.53 ₡1,589

-36.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.19 ₡537

-15.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.98 $39.98

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-44.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.24 ₡1,011

-29.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.55 ₡701

43.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.01 $41.01

$8.86 ₡3,993

362.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.57 ₡708

-52.23%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

5.44%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-19.46%

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

$33.78 $33.78

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-63.85%

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

$11.46 $11.46

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-67.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.71 $45.71

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-11.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.61 $43.61

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-38.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.96 $14.96

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-57.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 $7.75

$7.84 ₡3,535

-1.15%

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

$109 $109

$490 ₡220.7K

-77.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,117 $2,117

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-82.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.72 $22.72

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-57.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.97 $27.97

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-49.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 $61.6

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-22.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 $84.1

$78.9 ₡35.6K

6.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$89.2 $89.2

$786 ₡354.3K

-88.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.3 $91.3

$780 ₡351.6K

-88.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 $2,244

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-41.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 $136

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-90.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 $1,691

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-75.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,423 $1,423

$1,201 ₡541.3K

18.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 $214

$876 ₡395.0K

-75.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

8.62

-17.52%

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

Last update for Ongjin: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ongjin

$229 31.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 52.4% $120

Eating Out

Ongjin

$106 14.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 98.1% $104

Accommodation & Living

Ongjin

$91 12.7%

Nosara

$780 43% 754% $689

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ongjin

$91 12.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 98% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Ongjin

$88 12.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 36.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Ongjin

$59 8.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 47.3% $28

Getting Around

Ongjin

$57 7.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 53.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $89.2 in Ongjin versus $786 in Nosara. 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 309% 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 $23.00 in Ongjin versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $350 – making Ongjin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Ongjin

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

00:21 12:21 AM

15 h behind Ongjin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,878

4,912

💱 Currency

USD USD

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ongjin Nosara 13,790 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Ongjin
Nosara

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

Ongjin vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $710 in Ongjin, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 159% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,065 per month in Ongjin and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 80% less in Ongjin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $109 per month in Ongjin and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ongjin, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Ongjin 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 $710 in Ongjin 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 Ongjin. 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.