Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suwon and Nosara

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.

66

Cost of Living Index in Suwon
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Suwon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Suwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,363

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Suwon $1,363
Nosara $1,835

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

Suwon $2,148
Nosara $2,825

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

Suwon $2,933
Nosara $3,814

Suwon is about 26% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.96 ₩7,921

$12.34 ₡5,535

-51.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.15 ₩40.1K

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-50.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 ₩10.1K

$7.76 ₡3,481

-2.45%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ₩4,512

$4.44 ₡1,992

-23.65%

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

$1.60 ₩2,126

$1.79 ₡803

-10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩836

$1.29 ₡580

-51.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.86 ₩5,129

$3.24 ₡1,451

19.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 ₩6,336

$4.43 ₡1,985

7.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 ₩3,528

$1.55 ₡696

70.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 ₩3,546

$3.08 ₡1,380

-13.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 ₩4,517

$2.53 ₡1,133

34.39%

Eggs

$3.15 ₩4,184

$3.45 ₡1,546

-8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 ₩14.7K

$7.32 ₡3,284

50.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.50 ₩15.3K

$10.24 ₡4,594

12.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 ₩14.7K

$14.10 ₡6,326

-21.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.28 ₩8,355

$2.29 ₡1,027

174.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 ₩3,916

$1.64 ₡737

79.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 ₩7,030

$4.79 ₡2,149

10.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 ₩5,910

$1.64 ₡735

170.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,590

$3.85 ₡1,727

-10.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 ₩3,516

$3.75 ₡1,681

-29.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.86 ₩6,458

$1.09 ₡488

345.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₩1,726

$2.59 ₡1,160

-49.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ₩5,029

$5.12 ₡2,295

-26.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.86 ₩18.4K

$19.92 ₡8,931

-30.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₩3,369

$2.80 ₡1,255

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ₩4,939

$3.52 ₡1,580

5.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₩1,603

$1.22 ₡549

-0.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.15 ₩62.7K

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-36.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 ₩3,739

$2.17 ₡973

29.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩882

$1.56 ₡698

-57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$8.67 ₡3,886

1.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₩1,856

$1.55 ₡697

-9.68%

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

$28.4K ₩37.7M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-17.88%

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

$25.5K ₩33.9M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-34.27%

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

$185 ₩246.1K

$94.8 ₡42.5K

95.23%

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

$17.99 ₩23.9K

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-50.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.72 ₩23.6K

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-66.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.21 ₩58.8K

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-40.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.73 ₩15.6K

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-67.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 ₩14.9K

$7.91 ₡3,548

41.72%

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

$696 ₩925.0K

$490 ₡219.9K

41.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K ₩24.0M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

51.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.84 ₩49.0K

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-32.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$106 ₩140.4K

$55.9 ₡25.1K

88.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 ₩98.1K

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 ₩78.7K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-24.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 ₩575.7K

$801 ₡359.1K

-45.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₩466.4K

$790 ₡354.1K

-55.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 ₩1.5M

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-70.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 ₩1.1M

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-42.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K ₩16.8M

$7,064 ₡3.2M

79.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,005 ₩9.3M

$1,236 ₡554.3K

466.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,576 ₩3.4M

$887 ₡397.6K

190.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.62

-24.59%

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

Last update for Suwon: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Suwon

$394 28.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 11.3% $44

Accommodation & Living

Suwon

$351 25.7%

Nosara

$790 43% 125% $439

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suwon

$221 16.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 16.7% $37

Eating Out

Suwon

$149 10.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 42.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Suwon

$124 9.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 2.4% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Suwon

$67 4.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 34.5% $23

Getting Around

Suwon

$58 4.3%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 52.7% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $433 in Suwon versus $801 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 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 $30.00 in Suwon versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $394 in Suwon vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Suwon

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

15 h behind Suwon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,203,000

4,912

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Suwon Nosara 13,750 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Suwon
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

Suwon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,045 per month in Suwon and $2,753 in Nosara. 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 $696 per month in Suwon 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 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.