Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kemaman and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kemaman: $877 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Kemaman
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Kemaman Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Kemaman

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $877 per month in Kemaman vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kemaman $877
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,352 per month in Kemaman vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kemaman $1,352
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,827 per month in Kemaman vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kemaman $1,827
Nosara $3,818

Kemaman is about 52% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kemaman sits 35% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.62 MYR 10.70

$12.35 ₡5,539

-78.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.65 MYR 59.8

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-76.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.38 MYR 17.89

$7.52 ₡3,373

-41.76%

Cappuccino

$3.01 MYR 12.29

$4.41 ₡1,978

-31.75%

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

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$1.74 ₡780

-70.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$1.31 ₡587

-73.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MYR 13.10

$3.28 ₡1,471

-2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 MYR 23.61

$4.47 ₡2,004

29.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.70

$1.56 ₡701

21.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MYR 4.14

$3.02 ₡1,355

-66.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 MYR 3.92

$2.51 ₡1,125

-61.75%

Eggs

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$3.57 ₡1,603

-68.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 MYR 40.04

$7.43 ₡3,333

32.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.39

$10.52 ₡4,717

-68.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.63 MYR 39.27

$13.97 ₡6,265

-31.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 MYR 14.41

$2.35 ₡1,052

50.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 MYR 7.66

$1.61 ₡720

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 MYR 10.86

$4.80 ₡2,152

-44.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$1.61 ₡724

7.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.78

$3.80 ₡1,703

-43.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.23

$3.69 ₡1,657

-45.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MYR 5.82

$1.13 ₡507

26.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$2.66 ₡1,191

-81.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.66 MYR 18.99

$5.18 ₡2,321

-10.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.79 MYR 80.8

$19.88 ₡8,916

-0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 MYR 11.08

$2.90 ₡1,300

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.79

$3.63 ₡1,626

27.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$1.12 ₡504

-34.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.09 MYR 49.32

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-83.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$2.14 ₡958

-42.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.56

$1.57 ₡703

-75.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.88 MYR 36.22

$8.52 ₡3,823

4.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$1.52 ₡682

-65.79%

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

$42.1K MYR 171.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

94.70%

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

$32.9K MYR 134.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-4.54%

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

$48.98 MYR 200

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-49.13%

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

$8.30 MYR 33.87

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-76.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.03 MYR 110

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-49.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.79 MYR 170

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-41.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.05 MYR 28.75

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-79.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.88

$7.89 ₡3,539

-38.28%

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

$124 MYR 507

$494 ₡221.6K

-74.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MYR 42.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-12.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 MYR 210

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-4.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.07 MYR 123

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-45.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 MYR 313

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 MYR 349

$79.6 ₡35.7K

7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 MYR 1,837

$788 ₡353.4K

-42.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 MYR 1,090

$794 ₡356.2K

-66.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 MYR 3,148

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-80.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 MYR 2,169

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-62.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,748 MYR 7,129

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-74.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,220 MYR 4,978

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-0.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Kemaman: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kemaman

$267 30.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 197% $527

Groceries & Markets

Kemaman

$245 27.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 44% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Kemaman

$110 12.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 9.5% $10

Eating Out

Kemaman

$101 11.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 109% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kemaman

$84 9.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 120% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Kemaman

$52 5.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 69.6% $36

Getting Around

Kemaman

$18 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 380% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Kemaman 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 $15.00 in Kemaman versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $352 – making Kemaman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kemaman

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

21:18 9:18 PM

14 h behind Kemaman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,582

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 19, 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 19, 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

Kemaman Nosara 18,140 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Kemaman
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

Kemaman vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 110%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,315 per month in Kemaman 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 Kemaman, 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 $15.00 in Kemaman and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $877 in Kemaman and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 110%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kemaman, where all-in costs run around $877, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kemaman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kemaman – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kemaman. 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.