Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lumut, Perak and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Lumut, Perak: $987 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Lumut, Perak
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Lumut, Perak Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lumut, Perak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$987

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $987 in Lumut, Perak versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Lumut, Perak $987
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,449 in Lumut, Perak versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Lumut, Perak $1,449
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,910 in Lumut, Perak versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Lumut, Perak $1,910
Nosara $3,818

Living in Lumut, Perak costs roughly 46% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lumut, Perak is 27% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 MYR 14.52

$12.35 ₡5,539

-71.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.21 MYR 49.79

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-80.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 MYR 20.06

$7.52 ₡3,373

-34.57%

Cappuccino

$2.97 MYR 12.14

$4.41 ₡1,978

-32.65%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$1.74 ₡780

-52.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.56

$1.31 ₡587

-70.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 MYR 15.65

$3.28 ₡1,471

17.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 MYR 24.34

$4.47 ₡2,004

33.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 MYR 8.73

$1.56 ₡701

37.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.38

$3.02 ₡1,355

-64.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.25

$2.51 ₡1,125

-19.52%

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.05

$3.57 ₡1,603

-31.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 MYR 56.4

$7.43 ₡3,333

86.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 MYR 17.88

$10.52 ₡4,717

-58.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.89 MYR 40.36

$13.97 ₡6,265

-29.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 MYR 13.68

$2.35 ₡1,052

42.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.45

$1.61 ₡720

13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.18

$4.80 ₡2,152

-53.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MYR 6.53

$1.61 ₡724

-0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.24

$3.80 ₡1,703

-66.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 MYR 5.52

$3.69 ₡1,657

-63.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.82

$1.13 ₡507

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 MYR 2.68

$2.66 ₡1,191

-75.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 MYR 17.90

$5.18 ₡2,321

-15.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 MYR 80.2

$19.88 ₡8,916

-1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 MYR 14.31

$2.90 ₡1,300

21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 MYR 20.51

$3.63 ₡1,626

38.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MYR 2.62

$1.12 ₡504

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.47 MYR 46.78

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-84.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.03

$2.14 ₡958

-42.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$1.57 ₡703

-22.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 MYR 20.06

$8.52 ₡3,823

-42.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.57

$1.52 ₡682

-42.11%

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

$42.2K MYR 172.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

95.37%

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

$34.0K MYR 138.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-1.50%

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

$61.4 MYR 251

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-36.20%

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

$8.79 MYR 35.87

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-75.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.41 MYR 108

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-50.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.77 MYR 154

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-47.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 MYR 28.29

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-80.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 MYR 20.89

$7.89 ₡3,539

-35.11%

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

$303 MYR 1,236

$494 ₡221.6K

-38.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K MYR 52.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

8.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 MYR 289

$53.9 ₡24.2K

31.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.12 MYR 168

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-25.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 MYR 357

$77.9 ₡34.9K

12.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 MYR 388

$79.6 ₡35.7K

19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 MYR 1,657

$788 ₡353.4K

-48.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,222

$794 ₡356.2K

-62.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 MYR 2,798

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-82.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 MYR 1,940

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-66.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,306 MYR 9,407

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-66.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,183 MYR 4,824

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-3.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$381 MYR 1,555

$864 ₡387.3K

-55.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

8.62

-51.51%

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

Last update for Lumut, Perak: 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

Lumut, Perak

$299 30.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 165% $495

Groceries & Markets

Lumut, Perak

$274 27.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 28.6% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Lumut, Perak

$133 13.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 9.4% $12

Eating Out

Lumut, Perak

$115 11.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 84.4% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lumut, Perak

$97 9.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 92.2% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Lumut, Perak

$48 4.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 82% $39

Getting Around

Lumut, Perak

$21 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 309% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $406 in Lumut, Perak and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 127% 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: $12.00 in Lumut, Perak vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $352 per month, with Lumut, Perak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Lumut, Perak

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

23:10 11:10 PM

14 h behind Lumut, Perak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,595

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

Lumut, Perak Nosara 18,290 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Lumut, Perak
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

Lumut, Perak vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lumut, Perak wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lumut, Perak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 127% 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: $406 in Lumut, Perak versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lumut, Perak – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $987 per month in Lumut, Perak versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $987 in Lumut, Perak versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lumut, Perak but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Lumut, Perak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lumut, Perak delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $987 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lumut, Perak hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lumut, Perak 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 Lumut, Perak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.