Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bintulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bintulu: $849 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Bintulu
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Bintulu Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Bintulu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Bintulu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Bintulu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $849 in Bintulu.

Nosara $1,837
Bintulu $849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,312 in Bintulu.

Nosara $2,775
Bintulu $1,312

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,775 in Bintulu.

Nosara $3,712
Bintulu $1,775

Living in Nosara is roughly 116% more expensive than in Bintulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$3.95 MYR 16.13

209.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$18.43 MYR 75.3

226.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.79 MYR 23.63

30.22%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.99 MYR 12.20

44.15%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.63 MYR 2.59

173.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.38 MYR 1.54

255.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.98 MYR 12.17

8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.17 MYR 21.12

-13.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.15 MYR 8.77

-26.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.37 MYR 5.59

131.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.32 MYR 5.41

83.33%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.16 MYR 8.83

65.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$16.81 MYR 68.6

-55.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$3.48 MYR 14.19

199.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$5.90 MYR 24.11

131.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.76 MYR 7.19

31.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.02 MYR 4.18

57.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.76 MYR 7.17

169.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.13 MYR 4.60

46.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.51 MYR 2.08

629.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.19 MYR 4.85

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.69 MYR 2.84

59.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.42 MYR 1.71

507.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.18 MYR 17.08

18.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$19.74 MYR 80.6

1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$3.01 MYR 12.29

-7.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.00 MYR 8.17

76.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.20 MYR 4.91

-0.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$16.62 MYR 67.9

333.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.02 MYR 4.18

119.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.83 MYR 3.39

86.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$2.50 MYR 10.21

254.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.63 MYR 2.57

149.21%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$44.5K MYR 181.7K

-51.00%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$38.5K MYR 157.0K

-9.95%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$59.2 MYR 242

57.80%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$31.51 MYR 129

11.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$29.98 MYR 122

71.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$66.4 MYR 271

7.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$12.43 MYR 50.8

185.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$4.33 MYR 17.67

81.06%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$124 MYR 508

293.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$7,230 MYR 29.5K

64.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$64.2 MYR 262

-16.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$36.02 MYR 147

54.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$80.5 MYR 329

-1.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$90.8 MYR 371

-13.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$220 MYR 898

257.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$157 MYR 642

395.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$485 MYR 1,979

696.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$333 MYR 1,361

322.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,730 MYR 7,062

303.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,137 MYR 4,644

5.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$598 MYR 2,441

46.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.5

91.56%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Bintulu

$157 18.5% 79.8% $623

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Bintulu

$232 27.4% 33.5% $117

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Bintulu

$114 13.5% 45.5% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Bintulu

$121 14.2% 33% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Bintulu

$122 14.4% 1.6% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Bintulu

$75 8.9% 13.8% $12

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Bintulu

$27 3.1% 69.4% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $220 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 47% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $18.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $232 per month, with Bintulu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Bintulu

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

17:06 5:06 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

240,172

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Bintulu 17,480 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Bintulu

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

Nosara vs Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 116% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bintulu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 47% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $220 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $849 in Bintulu – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 334% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $849 in Bintulu versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bintulu but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bintulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bintulu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $849 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bintulu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Bintulu 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 Bintulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.