Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butterworth and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Butterworth: $932 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Butterworth
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Butterworth Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Butterworth

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$932

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $932 per month in Butterworth vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Butterworth $932
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,402 per month in Butterworth vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Butterworth $1,402
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,871 per month in Butterworth vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Butterworth $1,871
Nosara $3,818

Butterworth is about 49% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Butterworth sits 31% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 MYR 15.38

$12.35 ₡5,539

-69.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.66 MYR 80.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-67.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MYR 19.19

$7.52 ₡3,373

-37.50%

Cappuccino

$2.90 MYR 11.82

$4.41 ₡1,978

-34.24%

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

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$1.74 ₡780

-56.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$1.31 ₡587

-70.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.19 MYR 17.09

$3.28 ₡1,471

27.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MYR 17.56

$4.47 ₡2,004

-3.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$1.56 ₡701

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$3.02 ₡1,355

-65.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$2.51 ₡1,125

-32.27%

Eggs

$2.17 MYR 8.86

$3.57 ₡1,603

-39.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 MYR 56.4

$7.43 ₡3,333

85.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.74

$10.52 ₡4,717

-58.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.79 MYR 35.87

$13.97 ₡6,265

-37.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.84

$2.35 ₡1,052

23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.88

$1.61 ₡720

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 MYR 9.52

$4.80 ₡2,152

-51.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.75

$1.61 ₡724

-12.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.29

$3.80 ₡1,703

-72.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$3.69 ₡1,657

-69.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$1.13 ₡507

-4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.33

$2.66 ₡1,191

-78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.20

$5.18 ₡2,321

-13.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.33 MYR 78.9

$19.88 ₡8,916

-2.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 MYR 11.72

$2.90 ₡1,300

-1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MYR 19.97

$3.63 ₡1,626

34.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$1.12 ₡504

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.13 MYR 45.40

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-84.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.89

$2.14 ₡958

-43.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.52

$1.57 ₡703

-76.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 MYR 19.88

$8.52 ₡3,823

-42.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.63

$1.52 ₡682

-41.45%

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

$42.2K MYR 172.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

95.42%

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

$34.2K MYR 139.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-0.92%

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

$37.79 MYR 154

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-60.75%

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

$8.58 MYR 34.99

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-76.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.51 MYR 108

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-50.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.71 MYR 150

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-48.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.90 MYR 28.15

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-80.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MYR 20.50

$7.89 ₡3,539

-36.25%

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

$297 MYR 1,211

$494 ₡221.6K

-39.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K MYR 44.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-8.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 MYR 240

$53.9 ₡24.2K

9.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.71 MYR 146

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-35.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MYR 334

$77.9 ₡34.9K

5.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 MYR 290

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,672

$788 ₡353.4K

-47.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MYR 1,281

$794 ₡356.2K

-60.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 MYR 3,149

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-80.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 MYR 2,130

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-63.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 MYR 8,376

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-70.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,101 MYR 4,493

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-10.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

8.62

-53.13%

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

Last update for Butterworth: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Butterworth

$314 33.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 153% $480

Groceries & Markets

Butterworth

$257 27.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 37.2% $96

Eating Out

Butterworth

$113 12.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 87.1% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Butterworth

$111 12%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 7.8% $8.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butterworth

$73 7.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 155% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Butterworth

$47 5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 86.8% $41

Getting Around

Butterworth

$17 1.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 412% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $410 in Butterworth 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 $20.00 in Butterworth versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $352 – making Butterworth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Butterworth

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

16:49 4:49 PM

14 h behind Butterworth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

339,132

4,912

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Butterworth Nosara 18,180 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Butterworth
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

Butterworth vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $932 in Butterworth, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 97% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,398 per month in Butterworth 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 Butterworth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $932 in Butterworth and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 97%.

Public transport costs about 553% less in Butterworth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Butterworth, where all-in costs run around $932, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Butterworth 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 $932 in Butterworth 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 Butterworth. 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.