Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Seoul and in Nosara: $1,822 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Nosara $3,712

Seoul is about 1% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Nosara sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$12.22 ₡5,509

-25.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

11.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$7.54 ₡3,399

-1.59%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$4.31 ₡1,941

-5.34%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$1.72 ₡773

-6.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$1.35 ₡608

-40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$3.24 ₡1,459

12.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$4.48 ₡2,018

32.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.57 ₡707

30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$3.17 ₡1,429

-2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$2.42 ₡1,091

73.97%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$3.57 ₡1,609

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$7.43 ₡3,349

141.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$10.42 ₡4,697

2.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$13.66 ₡6,156

93.56%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$2.32 ₡1,044

219.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$1.61 ₡728

119.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$4.74 ₡2,138

23.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$1.66 ₡747

283.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$3.72 ₡1,679

0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$3.57 ₡1,611

-30.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$1.10 ₡497

165.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$2.55 ₡1,149

-54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$4.95 ₡2,232

-33.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-7.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$2.79 ₡1,256

-18.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$3.53 ₡1,589

-7.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$1.19 ₡537

-4.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-36.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$2.24 ₡1,011

55.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$1.55 ₡701

-61.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$8.86 ₡3,993

-1.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.57 ₡708

-4.46%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

33.54%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-18.60%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

123.51%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

0.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-58.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-19.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-55.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$7.84 ₡3,535

44.52%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$490 ₡220.7K

288.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

89.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

10.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-42.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-11.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

4.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$786 ₡354.3K

12.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$780 ₡351.6K

-20.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-35.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-9.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

328.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$1,201 ₡541.3K

886.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$876 ₡395.0K

316.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

8.62

-52.67%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Nosara

$780 43% 25.1% $156

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 27% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 32.1% $85

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 14% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 9.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 8.9% $7.1

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 53.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul 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 316% higher in Seoul, 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:25 3:25 PM

00:25 12:25 AM

15 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Nosara 13,730 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
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

Seoul vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,822 in Seoul, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul 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 Seoul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $490 in Nosara. 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 Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,822, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Seoul 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 $1,822 in Seoul 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 Seoul. 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.