Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Bharu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Bharu: $692 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
Learn more

Kota Bharu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$692

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $692 per month in Kota Bharu vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kota Bharu $692
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,072 per month in Kota Bharu vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,072
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,452 per month in Kota Bharu vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,452
Nosara $3,818

Kota Bharu is about 62% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kota Bharu sits 49% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 MYR 8.90

$12.35 ₡5,539

-82.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.41 MYR 79.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-68.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.70

$7.52 ₡3,373

-39.10%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MYR 8.89

$4.41 ₡1,978

-50.57%

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

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$1.74 ₡780

-72.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 MYR 1.05

$1.31 ₡587

-80.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.29

$3.28 ₡1,471

29.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 MYR 18.33

$4.47 ₡2,004

0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$1.56 ₡701

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MYR 3.74

$3.02 ₡1,355

-69.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$2.51 ₡1,125

-66.93%

Eggs

$1.61 MYR 6.58

$3.57 ₡1,603

-54.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 MYR 56.1

$7.43 ₡3,333

84.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 12.00

$10.52 ₡4,717

-72.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 MYR 27.13

$13.97 ₡6,265

-52.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$2.35 ₡1,052

23.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.12

$1.61 ₡720

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.15

$4.80 ₡2,152

-43.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$1.61 ₡724

-29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MYR 3.94

$3.80 ₡1,703

-74.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.59

$3.69 ₡1,657

-69.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$1.13 ₡507

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.84

$2.66 ₡1,191

-83.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 MYR 13.61

$5.18 ₡2,321

-35.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.00 MYR 77.5

$19.88 ₡8,916

-4.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$2.90 ₡1,300

0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 MYR 21.71

$3.63 ₡1,626

46.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.12

$1.12 ₡504

-31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.33 MYR 50.3

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-83.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$2.14 ₡958

-19.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.53

$1.57 ₡703

-76.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 MYR 15.04

$8.52 ₡3,823

-56.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$1.52 ₡682

-65.79%

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

$31.5K MYR 128.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

45.71%

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

$29.0K MYR 118.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-16.08%

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

$37.43 MYR 153

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-61.13%

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

$8.65 MYR 35.27

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-75.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.39 MYR 104

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-52.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.63 MYR 202

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-30.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 MYR 18.26

$7.89 ₡3,539

-43.22%

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

$125 MYR 508

$494 ₡221.6K

-74.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-8.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MYR 222

$53.9 ₡24.2K

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 MYR 78.7

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-65.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MYR 322

$77.9 ₡34.9K

1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 MYR 284

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-12.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 MYR 1,010

$788 ₡353.4K

-68.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$122 MYR 499

$794 ₡356.2K

-84.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 MYR 2,745

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-82.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 MYR 913

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-84.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$299 MYR 1,221

$864 ₡387.3K

-65.34%

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 Kota Bharu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Bharu

$230 33.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 53.5% $123

Accommodation & Living

Kota Bharu

$122 17.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 549% $672

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Bharu

$100 14.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 20% $20

Eating Out

Kota Bharu

$90 13.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 134% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Bharu

$71 10.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 160% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Bharu

$59 8.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 49.1% $29

Getting Around

Kota Bharu

$19 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 359% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Kota Bharu 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.

Salaries run about 189% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Kota Bharu versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $352 – making Kota Bharu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

16:33 4:33 PM

14 h behind Kota Bharu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

568,900

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

Kota Bharu Nosara 18,020 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Kota Bharu
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

Kota Bharu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 166% more than Kota Bharu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,037 per month in Kota Bharu 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 Kota Bharu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 489% less in Kota Bharu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $125 per month in Kota Bharu and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kota Bharu, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kota Bharu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kota Bharu costs $692 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kota Bharu. 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.