Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Belait and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Belait: $1,699 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Belait
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Kuala Belait Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Kuala Belait

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,699

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,699 per month in Kuala Belait vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Kuala Belait $1,699
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,569 per month in Kuala Belait vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Kuala Belait $2,569
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,438 per month in Kuala Belait vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Kuala Belait $3,438
Nosara $3,712

Kuala Belait is about 8% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kuala Belait and Nosara sit above the global median – Kuala Belait by 27%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 BND 10.12

$12.22 ₡5,509

-35.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.43 BND 59.4

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-22.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 BND 10.05

$7.54 ₡3,399

4.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 BND 2.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 BND 3.06

Cappuccino

$4.41 BND 5.64

$4.31 ₡1,941

2.32%

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

$0.89 BND 1.15

$1.72 ₡773

-48.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 BND 0.64

$1.35 ₡608

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 BND 2.36

$1.57 ₡707

17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 BND 3.12

$3.17 ₡1,429

-23.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 BND 2.88

$2.42 ₡1,091

-7.02%

Eggs

$2.58 BND 3.31

$3.57 ₡1,609

-27.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.59 BND 23.80

$7.43 ₡3,349

150.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 BND 12.61

$10.42 ₡4,697

-5.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.88 BND 31.85

$13.66 ₡6,156

82.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 BND 6.00

$2.32 ₡1,044

102.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 BND 2.78

$1.61 ₡728

34.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 BND 6.18

$4.74 ₡2,138

1.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 BND 3.17

$1.66 ₡747

48.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 BND 2.19

$3.72 ₡1,679

-54.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 BND 3.71

$3.57 ₡1,611

-18.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.54 BND 7.09

$1.10 ₡497

403.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 BND 1.19

$2.55 ₡1,149

-63.53%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.59 BND 14.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.99 BND 7.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 BND 10.07

$4.95 ₡2,232

58.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 BND 5.11

$2.24 ₡1,011

78.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 BND 4.39

$1.55 ₡701

121.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.59 BND 14.84

$8.86 ₡3,993

30.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 BND 0.45

$1.57 ₡708

-77.71%

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

$30.7K BND 39.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

40.76%

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

$27.2K BND 34.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-21.34%

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

$38.45 BND 49.23

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-58.86%

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

$21.58 BND 27.63

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-38.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 BND 82.4

$51.5 ₡23.2K

24.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.9 BND 123

$71.4 ₡32.2K

34.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 BND 35.00

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-22.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BND 7.05

$7.84 ₡3,535

-29.72%

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

$217 BND 278

$490 ₡220.7K

-55.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,398 BND 12.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-20.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 BND 95.8

$53.5 ₡24.1K

39.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$101 BND 129

$55.8 ₡25.1K

80.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 BND 196

$79.3 ₡35.7K

92.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 BND 91.4

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-9.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 BND 964

$786 ₡354.3K

-4.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 BND 987

$780 ₡351.6K

-1.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 BND 1,527

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-69.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 BND 1,506

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-16.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,398 BND 4,350

$876 ₡395.0K

287.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

8.62

-54.99%

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

Last update for Kuala Belait: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Belait

$771 45.3%

Nosara

$780 43% 1.1% $8.8

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Belait

$354 20.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 1.3% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Belait

$180 10.6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 33.1% $60

Eating Out

Kuala Belait

$145 8.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 44.2% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Belait

$124 7.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 44.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Belait

$107 6.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 18.6% $20

Getting Around

Kuala Belait

$21 * 1.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 311% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Kuala Belait versus $786 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 288% higher in Kuala Belait, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Kuala Belait versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $354 in Kuala Belait vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Kuala Belait

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

23:38 11:38 PM

14 h behind Kuala Belait

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,178

4,912

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.696 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BND – Brunei Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇳 Brunei Dollar ($)

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 BND (1 BND = 0.696 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuala Belait Nosara 17,280 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Belait
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

Kuala Belait vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,699 in Kuala Belait, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,549 per month in Kuala Belait and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Belait, 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 $1,699 in Kuala Belait and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 8%.

Kindergarten costs $217 per month in Kuala Belait and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Belait, where all-in costs run around $1,699, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Kuala Belait 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 $1,699 in Kuala Belait to $1,837 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 Kuala Belait. 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.