Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kuantan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuantan: $839 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kuantan

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

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

Nosara $1,839
Kuantan $839

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,219 in Kuantan, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kuantan $1,219

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,599 in Kuantan, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kuantan $1,599

Nosara costs about 119% more than Kuantan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Kuantan is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.49 MYR 10.18

395.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$12.00 MYR 48.96

409.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.63 MYR 14.83

107.16%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.88 MYR 11.73

53.13%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.71 MYR 2.89

145.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.45 MYR 1.82

191.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.80 MYR 11.43

17.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.73 MYR 23.37

-21.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.60 MYR 6.52

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.82 MYR 3.35

268.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.47 MYR 5.98

70.75%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.31 MYR 5.34

172.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.51 MYR 38.79

-21.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.28 MYR 13.36

220.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$4.42 MYR 18.04

216.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.03 MYR 12.35

-22.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-16.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.73 MYR 11.12

75.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.75 MYR 7.14

-8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.72 MYR 7.03

120.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.94 MYR 7.93

90.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.76 MYR 3.12

48.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.56 MYR 2.28

375.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.38 MYR 17.85

18.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$19.95 MYR 81.4

-0.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.99 MYR 8.13

45.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.92 MYR 7.81

89.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.51 MYR 2.07

119.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$12.15 MYR 49.55

497.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.13 MYR 4.61

89.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.35 MYR 1.45

348.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$9.05 MYR 36.92

-5.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.52 MYR 2.13

192.31%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

-36.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

4.35%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$49.82 MYR 203

93.28%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.06 MYR 32.86

345.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$24.16 MYR 98.6

121.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$39.79 MYR 162

79.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$6.83 MYR 27.87

411.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.65 MYR 18.98

69.68%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$280 MYR 1,142

76.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

15.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$52.4 MYR 214

2.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.29 MYR 124

82.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$49.62 MYR 202

57.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$48.89 MYR 199

62.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$411 MYR 1,675

91.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$302 MYR 1,232

163.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$692 MYR 2,822

469.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$476 MYR 1,943

197.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,015 MYR 8,220

243.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,090 MYR 4,448

12.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$975 MYR 3,976

-11.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.15

107.71%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kuantan

$302 36% 62% $492

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kuantan

$212 25.3% 39.7% $140

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kuantan

$95 11.4% 54.9% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kuantan

$82 9.8% 55.8% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kuantan

$82 9.7% 32.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kuantan

$49 5.9% 43.8% $38

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kuantan

$17 2% 80.4% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $411 in Kuantan. 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 13% higher in Kuantan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $12.00 in Kuantan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $212 – making Kuantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

07:20 7:20 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

548,014

💱 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 Kuantan 18,190 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kuantan

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 Kuantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,259 in Kuantan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $280 in Kuantan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 66% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuantan, where all-in costs run around $839, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kuantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuantan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kuantan. 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.