Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gombak

For one person, living is cheaper in Gombak: $927 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 Gombak
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Gombak Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Gombak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gombak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $927 in Gombak.

Nosara $1,839
Gombak $927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,429 in Gombak.

Nosara $2,828
Gombak $1,429

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,931 in Gombak.

Nosara $3,818
Gombak $1,931

Living in Nosara is roughly 98% more expensive than in Gombak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Gombak is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.71 MYR 15.12

232.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.58 MYR 100

148.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.96 MYR 20.23

51.61%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.98 MYR 12.15

47.99%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.92 MYR 3.74

89.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.42 MYR 1.69

211.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.23 MYR 13.16

1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.79 MYR 23.63

-22.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.88 MYR 7.69

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.03 MYR 4.19

193.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.42 MYR 5.80

76.76%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.85 MYR 7.55

92.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.03 MYR 40.93

-25.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.27 MYR 13.34

221.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.82 MYR 40.06

42.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.52 MYR 14.37

-33.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.91 MYR 7.81

-15.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.64 MYR 10.79

81.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.08 MYR 8.50

82.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.98 MYR 8.08

86.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.48 MYR 6.04

-23.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.55 MYR 2.24

383.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.41 MYR 17.97

17.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$19.70 MYR 80.4

0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.64 MYR 10.78

9.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.67 MYR 19.04

-22.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.67 MYR 2.73

67.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$12.05 MYR 49.15

502.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.23 MYR 5.03

73.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.35 MYR 1.44

348.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.72 MYR 35.57

-2.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.80 MYR 3.27

90.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$42.6K MYR 173.6K

-49.23%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.0K MYR 130.6K

7.82%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$49.80 MYR 203

93.35%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.34 MYR 34.02

330.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$27.39 MYR 112

95.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$40.60 MYR 166

76.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.17 MYR 29.23

386.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.26 MYR 13.29

142.02%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$274 MYR 1,120

80.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.4K MYR 42.3K

14.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$50.4 MYR 206

7.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.06 MYR 123

84.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$76.4 MYR 312

2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$86.2 MYR 352

-7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$405 MYR 1,650

94.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$303 MYR 1,235

162.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$682 MYR 2,781

477.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$554 MYR 2,261

156.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,059 MYR 8,400

235.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,053 MYR 4,295

16.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$538 MYR 2,193

60.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.51

91.13%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gombak: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Gombak

$303 32.7% 61.9% $492

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Gombak

$252 27.1% 28.6% $101

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Gombak

$113 12.2% 46.5% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Gombak

$86 9.2% 54% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Gombak

$109 11.8% 8.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gombak

$47 5.1% 46.1% $40

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Gombak

$18 1.9% 79.6% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $405 in Gombak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 61% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $25.00 in Gombak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $252 per month, with Gombak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Gombak

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

09:37 9:37 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

41,699

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Gombak 18,330 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gombak

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 Gombak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gombak wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gombak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $788 in Nosara versus $405 in Gombak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gombak – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $927 in Gombak versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gombak but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gombak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gombak delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $927 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gombak hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Gombak 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 Gombak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.