Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Butterworth

For one person, living is cheaper in Butterworth: $932 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Butterworth
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Butterworth Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Butterworth

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Butterworth

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 Butterworth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $932 in Butterworth, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Butterworth $932

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,402 in Butterworth, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Butterworth $1,402

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,871 in Butterworth, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Butterworth $1,871

Nosara costs about 97% more than Butterworth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Butterworth is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.77 MYR 15.38

227.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$19.66 MYR 80.2

211.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.70 MYR 19.19

60.00%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.90 MYR 11.82

52.07%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.76 MYR 3.11

128.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.39 MYR 1.59

235.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.19 MYR 17.09

-21.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.30 MYR 17.56

3.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.08 MYR 8.48

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.04 MYR 4.26

190.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.70 MYR 6.94

47.65%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.17 MYR 8.86

64.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.81 MYR 56.4

-46.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.35 MYR 17.74

141.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.79 MYR 35.87

58.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.90 MYR 11.84

-18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.69 MYR 6.88

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.33 MYR 9.52

106.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.41 MYR 5.75

14.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.05 MYR 4.29

261.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.13 MYR 4.61

226.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.08 MYR 4.42

4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.57 MYR 2.33

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.46 MYR 18.20

16.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$19.33 MYR 78.9

2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.87 MYR 11.72

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.90 MYR 19.97

-25.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.70 MYR 2.86

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$11.13 MYR 45.40

552.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.20 MYR 4.89

78.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.37 MYR 1.52

324.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.87 MYR 19.88

74.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.89 MYR 3.63

70.79%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$42.2K MYR 172.3K

-48.83%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.2K MYR 139.5K

0.93%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$37.79 MYR 154

154.80%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.58 MYR 34.99

318.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$26.51 MYR 108

102.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$36.71 MYR 150

95.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$6.90 MYR 28.15

405.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.03 MYR 20.50

56.86%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$297 MYR 1,211

66.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.9K MYR 44.4K

9.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$58.9 MYR 240

-8.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$35.71 MYR 146

55.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$81.9 MYR 334

-4.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$71.0 MYR 290

12.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$410 MYR 1,672

92.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$314 MYR 1,281

152.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$772 MYR 3,149

410.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$522 MYR 2,130

171.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,053 MYR 8,376

236.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,101 MYR 4,493

11.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.04

113.37%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Butterworth: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Butterworth

$314 33.7% 60.5% $480

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Butterworth

$257 27.6% 27.1% $96

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Butterworth

$113 12.1% 46.6% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Butterworth

$73 7.8% 60.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Butterworth

$111 12% 7.2% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Butterworth

$47 5% 46.5% $41

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Butterworth

$17 1.8% 80.5% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $410 in Butterworth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $20.00 in Butterworth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $257 – making Butterworth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Butterworth

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

06:48 6:48 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

339,132

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Butterworth 18,180 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Butterworth

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 Butterworth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $932 in Butterworth – roughly 97% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,398 in Butterworth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Butterworth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $932 in Butterworth. That's a gap of about 97%.

Public transport costs about 553% less in Butterworth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Butterworth, where all-in costs run around $932, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Butterworth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $932 in Butterworth to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Butterworth. 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.