Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gombak and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Gombak: $927 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 Gombak
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Gombak Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Gombak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$927

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Gombak versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Gombak $927
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,429 in Gombak versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Gombak $1,429
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Gombak versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Gombak $1,931
Nosara $3,818

Living in Gombak costs roughly 50% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gombak is 31% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 MYR 15.12

$12.35 ₡5,539

-69.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.58 MYR 100

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-59.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 MYR 20.23

$7.52 ₡3,373

-34.04%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.15

$4.41 ₡1,978

-32.43%

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

$0.92 MYR 3.74

$1.74 ₡780

-47.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.69

$1.31 ₡587

-67.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MYR 13.16

$3.28 ₡1,471

-1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 MYR 23.63

$4.47 ₡2,004

29.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.69

$1.56 ₡701

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.19

$3.02 ₡1,355

-65.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.80

$2.51 ₡1,125

-43.43%

Eggs

$1.85 MYR 7.55

$3.57 ₡1,603

-48.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MYR 40.93

$7.43 ₡3,333

34.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 MYR 13.34

$10.52 ₡4,717

-68.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.82 MYR 40.06

$13.97 ₡6,265

-29.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 MYR 14.37

$2.35 ₡1,052

49.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.81

$1.61 ₡720

18.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 MYR 10.79

$4.80 ₡2,152

-45.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.61 ₡724

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.50

$3.80 ₡1,703

-45.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MYR 8.08

$3.69 ₡1,657

-46.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MYR 6.04

$1.13 ₡507

30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.24

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 MYR 17.97

$5.18 ₡2,321

-14.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.70 MYR 80.4

$19.88 ₡8,916

-0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.78

$2.90 ₡1,300

-8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 MYR 19.04

$3.63 ₡1,626

28.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MYR 2.73

$1.12 ₡504

-40.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.05 MYR 49.15

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-83.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.03

$2.14 ₡958

-42.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$1.57 ₡703

-77.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 MYR 35.57

$8.52 ₡3,823

2.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.27

$1.52 ₡682

-47.37%

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

$42.6K MYR 173.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

96.97%

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

$32.0K MYR 130.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-7.25%

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

$49.80 MYR 203

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-48.28%

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

$8.34 MYR 34.02

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-76.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 MYR 112

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-48.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.60 MYR 166

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-43.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 MYR 29.23

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-79.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.26 MYR 13.29

$7.89 ₡3,539

-58.68%

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

$274 MYR 1,120

$494 ₡221.6K

-44.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MYR 42.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-12.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 MYR 206

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-6.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.06 MYR 123

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-45.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 MYR 312

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 MYR 352

$79.6 ₡35.7K

8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 MYR 1,650

$788 ₡353.4K

-48.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 MYR 1,235

$794 ₡356.2K

-61.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 MYR 2,781

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-82.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 MYR 2,261

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-60.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,059 MYR 8,400

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-70.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,053 MYR 4,295

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-13.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$538 MYR 2,193

$864 ₡387.3K

-37.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

8.62

-47.68%

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

Last update for Gombak: 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

Gombak

$303 32.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 162% $492

Groceries & Markets

Gombak

$252 27.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 40% $101

Eating Out

Gombak

$113 12.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 86.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Gombak

$109 11.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 9.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gombak

$86 9.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 117% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Gombak

$47 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 85.5% $40

Getting Around

Gombak

$18 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 391% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Gombak and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 61% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Gombak vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $352 per month, with Gombak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Gombak

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

20:28 8:28 PM

14 h behind Gombak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,699

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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gombak Nosara 18,330 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Gombak
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

Gombak vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gombak wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gombak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $405 in Gombak versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gombak – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $927 in Gombak versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gombak but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gombak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gombak delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $927 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gombak hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gombak and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gombak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.