Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wonju and Nosara

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.

75

Cost of Living Index in Wonju
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Wonju Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Wonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,526

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Wonju $1,526
Nosara $1,839

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

Wonju $2,418
Nosara $2,828

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

Wonju $3,309
Nosara $3,818

Wonju is about 17% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 ₩9,900

$12.35 ₡5,539

-39.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.19 ₩64.1K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-21.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 ₩8,892

$7.52 ₡3,373

-11.04%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ₩4,859

$4.41 ₡1,978

-17.23%

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

$1.79 ₩2,381

$1.74 ₡780

2.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,923

$1.31 ₡587

10.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 ₩4,926

$3.28 ₡1,471

12.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₩5,740

$4.47 ₡2,004

-3.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩2,998

$1.56 ₡701

44.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 ₩4,252

$3.02 ₡1,355

5.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 ₩4,095

$2.51 ₡1,125

22.71%

Eggs

$2.69 ₩3,579

$3.57 ₡1,603

-24.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 ₩14.5K

$7.43 ₡3,333

47.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 ₩13.8K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-1.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.90 ₩33.1K

$13.97 ₡6,265

78.24%

Apples (1kg)

$11.04 ₩14.7K

$2.35 ₡1,052

369.79%

Banana (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,712

$1.61 ₡720

119.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.98 ₩10.6K

$4.80 ₡2,152

66.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 ₩8,034

$1.61 ₡724

275.16%

Potato (1kg)

$5.80 ₩7,718

$3.80 ₡1,703

52.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.40 ₩4,527

$3.69 ₡1,657

-7.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 ₩3,807

$1.13 ₡507

153.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,711

$2.66 ₡1,191

-51.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,550

$5.18 ₡2,321

-33.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.38 ₩24.4K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₩3,131

$2.90 ₡1,300

-18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ₩4,513

$3.63 ₡1,626

-6.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,467

$1.12 ₡504

-1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 ₩4,825

$2.14 ₡958

69.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩950

$1.57 ₡703

-54.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.85 ₩22.4K

$8.52 ₡3,823

97.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,656

$1.52 ₡682

-17.76%

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

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

36.15%

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

$33.6K ₩44.7M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-2.57%

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

$196 ₩260.7K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

103.62%

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

$35.94 ₩47.8K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.92 ₩35.8K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-49.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ₩69.9K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-26.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.15 ₩16.2K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-65.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 ₩15.7K

$7.89 ₡3,539

49.43%

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

$491 ₩652.3K

$494 ₡221.6K

-0.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.1M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

84.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩138.1K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

92.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.1 ₩85.2K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

15.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₩122.5K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

18.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩171.3K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

61.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₩657.0K

$788 ₡353.4K

-37.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₩477.3K

$794 ₡356.2K

-54.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 ₩1.6M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-70.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ₩988.6K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-47.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,157 ₩9.5M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

3.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,494 ₩7.3M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

348.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

8.62

-51.04%

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

Last update for Wonju: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wonju

$482 31.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 26.9% $130

Accommodation & Living

Wonju

$359 23.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 121% $435

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wonju

$259 17%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 28.3% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Wonju

$175 11.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 31.4% $55

Eating Out

Wonju

$164 10.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 29.5% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Wonju

$76 5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 14.7% $11

Getting Around

Wonju

$12 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 650% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $494 in Wonju versus $788 in Nosara. 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 $48.00 in Wonju versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $482 in Wonju vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Wonju

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:26 11:26 AM

20:26 8:26 PM

15 h behind Wonju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,196

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 18, 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 18, 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

Wonju Nosara 13,700 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Wonju
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

Wonju vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,526 in Wonju, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,290 per month in Wonju and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Wonju and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.