Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Terengganu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Terengganu: $924 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Terengganu
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Kuala Terengganu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Kuala Terengganu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$924

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $924 in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Kuala Terengganu $924
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,372 in Kuala Terengganu versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Kuala Terengganu $1,372
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,821 in Kuala Terengganu versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Kuala Terengganu $1,821
Nosara $3,818

Living in Kuala Terengganu costs roughly 50% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuala Terengganu is 32% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 MYR 10.15

$12.35 ₡5,539

-79.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.06 MYR 94.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-62.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 MYR 19.25

$7.52 ₡3,373

-37.23%

Cappuccino

$2.72 MYR 11.08

$4.41 ₡1,978

-38.32%

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

$0.47 MYR 1.90

$1.74 ₡780

-72.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 MYR 1.14

$1.31 ₡587

-78.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 MYR 14.52

$3.28 ₡1,471

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 MYR 17.05

$4.47 ₡2,004

-6.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$1.56 ₡701

8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$3.02 ₡1,355

-66.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.22

$2.51 ₡1,125

-49.00%

Eggs

$2.13 MYR 8.68

$3.57 ₡1,603

-40.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 MYR 63.9

$7.43 ₡3,333

110.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.73

$10.52 ₡4,717

-58.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 MYR 34.29

$13.97 ₡6,265

-39.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.73

$2.35 ₡1,052

42.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.59

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 MYR 8.59

$4.80 ₡2,152

-56.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.13

$1.61 ₡724

-6.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.01

$3.80 ₡1,703

-61.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$3.69 ₡1,657

-70.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$1.13 ₡507

-11.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.17

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.18

$5.18 ₡2,321

-13.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.84 MYR 72.8

$19.88 ₡8,916

-10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.91

$2.90 ₡1,300

0.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 MYR 19.66

$3.63 ₡1,626

32.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MYR 2.75

$1.12 ₡504

-40.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 MYR 43.31

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-85.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 MYR 5.20

$2.14 ₡958

-40.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$1.57 ₡703

-70.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 MYR 26.73

$8.52 ₡3,823

-23.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 MYR 3.65

$1.52 ₡682

-40.79%

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

$43.8K MYR 178.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

102.84%

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

$32.1K MYR 131.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-6.98%

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

$45.25 MYR 185

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-53.01%

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

$8.79 MYR 35.87

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-75.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.10 MYR 102

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-53.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 MYR 180

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-38.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.97 MYR 32.49

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-77.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.61

$7.89 ₡3,539

-39.04%

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

$172 MYR 701

$494 ₡221.6K

-65.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,936 MYR 28.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-41.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 MYR 235

$53.9 ₡24.2K

6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.37 MYR 148

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-34.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 MYR 353

$77.9 ₡34.9K

10.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 MYR 278

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-14.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 MYR 1,472

$788 ₡353.4K

-54.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 MYR 1,275

$794 ₡356.2K

-60.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 MYR 2,946

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MYR 1,923

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-66.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,456

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-70.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,145 MYR 4,669

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-6.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

8.62

-52.90%

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

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: 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

Kuala Terengganu

$312 33.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 154% $482

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Terengganu

$254 27.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 38.6% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Terengganu

$112 12.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 7.4% $8.3

Eating Out

Kuala Terengganu

$96 10.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 121% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Terengganu

$79 8.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 135% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Terengganu

$54 5.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 62.8% $34

Getting Around

Kuala Terengganu

$17 1.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 415% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Kuala Terengganu and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Kuala Terengganu vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $352 per month, with Kuala Terengganu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Terengganu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:09 12:09 PM

22:09 10:09 PM

14 h behind Kuala Terengganu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

375,424

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

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Highest

Between locations

Kuala Terengganu Nosara 18,050 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Kuala Terengganu and Nosara differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($924 vs $1,839 including rent). Kuala Terengganu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,386 in Kuala Terengganu and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $361 in Kuala Terengganu versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $924 per month in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kuala Terengganu runs roughly 584% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $924 in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuala Terengganu but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Terengganu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kuala Terengganu 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 Kuala Terengganu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.