Wage Cost

Country comparison

Korea vs Costa Rica

Compare average wages, historical trends and everyday price levels across two economies. A common wage-year frame and a visible United States = 100 price benchmark keep the view comparable.

All Countries
Korea$61,2592025 · PPP-adjusted annual wage

Overall Price Level: 60.10 · 2024

Data reviewed: August 2026

Costa Rica$44,4312024 · PPP-adjusted annual wage

Overall Price Level: 61.30 · 2024

Data reviewed: August 2026

Compare average wages, historical trends and everyday price levels across two economies. A common wage-year frame and a visible United States = 100 price benchmark keep the view comparable.

Wage trend comparison

How Wages Have Changed

$63k$57k$50k$43k$37k20152025PPP-adjusted annual wage (USD)

USD PPP, constant 2025 prices · click a legend name to hide it; at least one line remains.

Price Level Comparison

Compare Everyday Price Levels

Compare eight consumer price categories using the United States benchmark of 100.

OverallCosta Rica +1.2
FoodKorea +29.0
ClothingKorea +24.6
HousingKorea +7.5
HealthCosta Rica +30.0
TransportCosta Rica +12.5
RecreationCosta Rica +7.6
RestaurantsKorea +8.6
Korea 60.10Costa Rica 61.30
Overall
Korea 60.10
Costa Rica 61.30
Difference Costa Rica +1.20
Food
Korea 136.00
Costa Rica 107.00
Difference Korea +29.00
Clothing
Korea 103.00
Costa Rica 78.40
Difference Korea +24.60
Housing
Korea 38.00
Costa Rica 30.50
Difference Korea +7.50
Health
Korea 37.00
Costa Rica 67.00
Difference Costa Rica +30.00
Transport
Korea 73.80
Costa Rica 86.30
Difference Costa Rica +12.50
Recreation
Korea 71.60
Costa Rica 79.20
Difference Costa Rica +7.60
Restaurants
Korea 82.40
Costa Rica 73.80
Difference Korea +8.60

Key Differences

Understanding Korea and Costa Rica

Korea records a higher 2025 PPP-adjusted annual wage than Costa Rica, while both countries have similar overall price levels below the U.S. benchmark in 2024. The page keeps the arithmetic difference visible but does not turn it into a causal explanation or a living-standard judgement.

Wage Comparison

Korea shows the higher PPP-adjusted annual wage: $16,828 (37.9%) more than Costa Rica. Over the latest reported year, both economies recorded positive one-year wage changes (+0.58% and +0.00%). The widest price category gap is Health at 30.0 index points, and both overall price levels sit below the U.S. benchmark of 100 in 2024. Wages are reported for 2025 (Korea) and 2024 (Costa Rica), while prices cover 2024; the two datasets are labelled separately.

Price Profile

Both overall price indices remain below the United States benchmark. Costa Rica is marginally higher overall, while the largest category difference appears in Health, where Costa Rica exceeds Korea by 30.0 index points. Each value remains relative to the United States = 100 benchmark.

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Data Notes

Wage data: 2025 common-year PPP-adjusted annual wages. Price data: 2022–2024, United States = 100. Missing values display – without zero fill, interpolation, or automatic year fallback.

Data reviewed: August 2026