Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kota Damansara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Damansara: $963 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Kota Damansara
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Kota Damansara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kota Damansara

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kota Damansara

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $963 in Kota Damansara, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kota Damansara $963

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,455 in Kota Damansara, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kota Damansara $1,455

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,946 in Kota Damansara, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kota Damansara $1,946

Nosara costs about 91% more than Kota Damansara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Kota Damansara is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.79 MYR 19.55

157.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$19.44 MYR 79.3

214.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.81 MYR 19.63

56.34%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.97 MYR 12.10

48.48%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.79 MYR 3.22

120.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.50 MYR 2.05

162.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.50 MYR 18.36

-27.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.15 MYR 25.09

-27.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.74 MYR 7.09

-10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.06 MYR 4.31

184.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.45 MYR 5.91

73.10%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.73 MYR 7.07

106.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.90 MYR 56.7

-46.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.47 MYR 18.23

135.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.94 MYR 40.56

40.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.36 MYR 13.72

-30.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.73 MYR 7.06

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.31 MYR 9.43

107.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.54 MYR 6.27

4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.27 MYR 5.19

199.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.39 MYR 5.68

165.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.17 MYR 4.76

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.56 MYR 2.27

375.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.36 MYR 17.79

18.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.74 MYR 60.1

34.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.19 MYR 13.03

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.24 MYR 17.31

-14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.64 MYR 2.59

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$13.02 MYR 53.1

457.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.94 MYR 3.85

127.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.71 MYR 2.89

121.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.03 MYR 20.53

69.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.87 MYR 3.54

74.71%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$41.0K MYR 167.4K

-47.35%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.4K MYR 140.3K

0.39%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$52.0 MYR 212

85.17%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.82 MYR 35.97

306.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$26.10 MYR 106

105.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$44.68 MYR 182

60.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.57 MYR 30.90

361.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.98 MYR 20.33

58.43%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$164 MYR 667

202.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,538 MYR 18.5K

161.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$54.2 MYR 221

-0.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.64 MYR 67.9

232.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$82.9 MYR 338

-6.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$94.2 MYR 384

-15.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$451 MYR 1,841

74.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$311 MYR 1,267

155.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$691 MYR 2,818

470.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$537 MYR 2,191

164.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,037 MYR 8,308

239.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,083 MYR 4,417

13.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$853 MYR 3,478

1.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.06

112.32%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kota Damansara: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kota Damansara

$311 32.3% 60.9% $484

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kota Damansara

$251 26% 28.9% $102

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kota Damansara

$128 13.3% 39.4% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kota Damansara

$87 9% 53.2% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kota Damansara

$112 11.6% 7.1% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kota Damansara

$55 5.7% 37.4% $33

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kota Damansara

$20 2.1% 77% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $451 in Kota Damansara. 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 1% 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $19.00 in Kota Damansara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $251 – making Kota Damansara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Kota Damansara

🕒 Local time

02:54 2:54 AM

16:54 4:54 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

500,000

💱 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 Kota Damansara 18,350 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kota Damansara

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 Kota Damansara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 91% more than Kota Damansara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,444 in Kota Damansara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 458% less in Kota Damansara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $164 in Kota Damansara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kota Damansara, where all-in costs run around $963, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kota Damansara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kota Damansara costs $963 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kota Damansara. 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.