Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Nosara

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.

12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$426

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyongyang 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 Pyongyang and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Pyongyang $426
Nosara $1,837

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

Pyongyang $696
Nosara $2,775

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

Pyongyang $965
Nosara $3,712

Pyongyang is about 77% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 $4.93

$12.22 ₡5,509

-59.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.47 $36.47

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-39.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.96 $21.96

$7.54 ₡3,399

191.25%

Cappuccino

$1.13 $1.13

$4.31 ₡1,941

-73.78%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$1.72 ₡773

27.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.35 ₡608

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.69 $13.69

$3.24 ₡1,459

322.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.48 ₡2,018

7.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.57 ₡707

-41.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.17 ₡1,429

-25.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.42 ₡1,091

-62.40%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$3.57 ₡1,609

-41.74%

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)

$75.9 $75.9

$71.4 ₡32.2K

6.27%

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)

$91.0 $91.0

$786 ₡354.3K

-88.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 $89.7

$780 ₡351.6K

-88.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 $135

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-90.42%

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)

$250 $250

$876 ₡395.0K

-71.42%

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 Pyongyang: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Pyongyang

$211 50%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 0.7% $1.4

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

$90 21.3%

Nosara

$780 43% 769% $690

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

$76 * 18%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 14.8% $11

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

$45 * 10.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 679% $305

Getting Around

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $91.0 in Pyongyang 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 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 $36.00 in Pyongyang versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $45.00 vs $350 – making Pyongyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

23:03 11:03 PM

15 h behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

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

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Highest

Between locations

Pyongyang Nosara 13,670 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated June 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Pyongyang vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $639 per month in Pyongyang 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 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 $36.00 in Pyongyang and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $426 in Pyongyang and $1,837 in Nosara. 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.