Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malang and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Malang: $474 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Malang
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Malang Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Malang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$474

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $474 per month in Malang vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Malang $474
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $729 per month in Malang vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Malang $729
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $984 per month in Malang vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Malang $984
Nosara $3,818

Malang is about 74% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Malang sits 65% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.11 Rp 19.9K

$12.35 ₡5,547

-91.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.07 Rp 199.2K

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-81.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$7.52 ₡3,377

-63.30%

Cappuccino

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$4.41 ₡1,981

-69.61%

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

$0.60 Rp 10.8K

$1.74 ₡781

-65.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 Rp 4,146

$1.31 ₡588

-82.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$3.28 ₡1,473

-30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 Rp 76.6K

$4.47 ₡2,007

-4.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$1.56 ₡702

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 Rp 20.2K

$3.02 ₡1,357

-62.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$2.51 ₡1,127

-66.53%

Eggs

$1.24 Rp 22.4K

$3.57 ₡1,605

-65.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 Rp 106.0K

$7.43 ₡3,338

-20.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 Rp 55.6K

$10.52 ₡4,724

-70.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 Rp 129.7K

$13.97 ₡6,274

-48.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 Rp 36.3K

$2.35 ₡1,054

-14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$1.61 ₡721

-21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

$4.80 ₡2,155

-67.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

$1.61 ₡725

-11.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

$3.80 ₡1,706

-65.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

$3.69 ₡1,659

-47.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 Rp 8,439

$1.13 ₡507

-58.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,580

$2.66 ₡1,193

-84.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$5.18 ₡2,324

-48.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 Rp 224.5K

$19.88 ₡8,929

-37.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 Rp 30.1K

$2.90 ₡1,302

-42.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.9K

$3.63 ₡1,628

-17.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 Rp 10.7K

$1.12 ₡505

-46.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.61 Rp 100.9K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-92.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,631

$2.14 ₡959

-77.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,244

$1.57 ₡704

-74.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.1K

$8.52 ₡3,828

-36.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$1.52 ₡683

-51.32%

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

$24.9K Rp 448.9M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

15.42%

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

$27.7K Rp 498.8M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.72%

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

$30.83 Rp 555.0K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-67.98%

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

$2.41 Rp 43.3K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-93.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 Rp 351.1K

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-63.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.68 Rp 264.3K

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-79.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.47 Rp 80.5K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-87.20%

Cinema Ticket

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$7.89 ₡3,544

-75.67%

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

$30.88 Rp 555.9K

$494 ₡221.9K

-93.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,452 Rp 170.1M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-20.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

$53.9 ₡24.2K

4.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.41 Rp 403.4K

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-59.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 Rp 934.9K

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-33.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.74 Rp 643.3K

$79.6 ₡35.8K

-55.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.5M

$788 ₡353.9K

-82.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.5 Rp 1.6M

$794 ₡356.7K

-88.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 Rp 3.5M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-95.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$1,419 ₡637.4K

-88.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 Rp 3.7M

$864 ₡387.8K

-76.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-53.60%

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

Last update for Malang: 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

Malang

$169 35.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 108% $183

Accommodation & Living

Malang

$92 19.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 768% $703

Clothing & Footwear

Malang

$75 15.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 60.3% $45

Eating Out

Malang

$56 11.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 275% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malang

$53 11.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 252% $133

Sport & Entertainment

Malang

$19 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 372% $69

Getting Around

Malang

$10 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 731% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Malang 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 325% 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 $11.00 in Malang versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $352 – making Malang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Malang

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

19:45 7:45 PM

13 h behind Malang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

857,891

4,912

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,268 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malang Nosara 17,990 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Malang
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

Malang vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 288%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $711 per month in Malang 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 Malang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1195% less in Malang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $30.88 per month in Malang and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Malang, where all-in costs run around $474, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Malang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Malang – 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 Malang. 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.