Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $814 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$814

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $814 in Miri versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Miri $814
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Miri versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Miri $1,247
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,680 in Miri versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Miri $1,680
Nosara $3,712

Living in Miri costs roughly 56% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Miri is 39% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 MYR 14.02

$12.22 ₡5,509

-71.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.16 MYR 49.65

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-79.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 MYR 18.58

$7.54 ₡3,399

-39.66%

Cappuccino

$2.30 MYR 9.40

$4.31 ₡1,941

-46.64%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$1.72 ₡773

-54.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.24

$1.35 ₡608

-77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MYR 12.10

$3.24 ₡1,459

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MYR 15.59

$4.48 ₡2,018

-14.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MYR 5.72

$1.57 ₡707

-10.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 MYR 7.40

$3.17 ₡1,429

-42.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 MYR 3.85

$2.42 ₡1,091

-61.16%

Eggs

$3.50 MYR 14.27

$3.57 ₡1,609

-1.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 MYR 19.58

$10.42 ₡4,697

-54.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 MYR 61.6

$13.66 ₡6,156

10.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 8.01

$1.61 ₡728

21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$2.55 ₡1,149

-85.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MYR 17.77

$4.95 ₡2,232

-12.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.28 MYR 78.7

$20.01 ₡9,020

-3.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 MYR 12.59

$2.79 ₡1,256

10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 MYR 9.85

$3.53 ₡1,589

-31.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$1.19 ₡537

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.41 MYR 58.8

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-80.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$2.24 ₡1,011

-46.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MYR 2.60

$1.55 ₡701

-58.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 MYR 24.71

$8.86 ₡3,993

-31.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 MYR 2.64

$1.57 ₡708

-58.60%

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

$51.0K MYR 208.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

133.97%

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

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-5.72%

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

$49.79 MYR 203

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-46.72%

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

$9.53 MYR 38.91

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-72.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.24 MYR 136

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-35.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.63 MYR 121

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-58.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.17 MYR 25.21

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-82.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 MYR 18.18

$7.84 ₡3,535

-43.24%

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

$102 MYR 416

$490 ₡220.7K

-79.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,641 MYR 27.1K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-44.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.13 MYR 180

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-17.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.74 MYR 92.9

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-59.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.2 MYR 230

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-29.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.80 MYR 175

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-45.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$341 MYR 1,390

$786 ₡354.3K

-56.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 MYR 1,145

$780 ₡351.6K

-64.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 MYR 2,435

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-84.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 MYR 2,425

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-57.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,219 MYR 4,977

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-82.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$671 MYR 2,741

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-44.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$692 MYR 2,826

$876 ₡395.0K

-21.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

8.62

-52.20%

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

Last update for Miri: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Miri

$280 35.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 178% $499

Groceries & Markets

Miri

$194 * 24.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 80.1% $155

Eating Out

Miri

$96 12%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 119% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miri

$93 11.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 94.5% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Miri

$75 9.4%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 61.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Miri

$39 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 126% $49

Getting Around

Miri

$21 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 317% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $341 in Miri and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 27% 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 Miri vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $350 per month, with Miri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Miri

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:02 1:02 PM

23:02 11:02 PM

14 h behind Miri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,877

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 = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 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 MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Miri Nosara 17,320 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Miri
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

Miri vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miri is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $341 in Miri versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Miri – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $814 per month in Miri versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 126% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $814 in Miri versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Miri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Miri is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Miri 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 Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.