Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kuching

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $887 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kuching

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $887 in Kuching.

Nosara $1,837
Kuching $887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,389 in Kuching.

Nosara $2,775
Kuching $1,389

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,892 in Kuching.

Nosara $3,712
Kuching $1,892

Living in Nosara is roughly 107% more expensive than in Kuching, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Kuching is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$3.33 MYR 13.60

266.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$24.53 MYR 100

145.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$4.87 MYR 19.89

54.83%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.17 MYR 12.93

35.96%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.74 MYR 3.04

132.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.36 MYR 1.47

275.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$4.51 MYR 18.43

-28.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$6.16 MYR 25.15

-27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.31 MYR 9.42

-32.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.26 MYR 5.16

151.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.15 MYR 4.68

110.43%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.46 MYR 10.03

45.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$10.95 MYR 44.72

-32.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.45 MYR 18.17

134.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$9.90 MYR 40.42

37.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.17 MYR 12.93

-26.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.37 MYR 5.59

17.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.40 MYR 9.80

97.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.82 MYR 7.42

-8.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.41 MYR 5.75

163.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.19 MYR 4.86

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.56 MYR 6.35

-29.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.54 MYR 2.22

372.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.51 MYR 18.41

9.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$21.59 MYR 88.2

-7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$4.06 MYR 16.58

-31.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$5.19 MYR 21.19

-31.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.58 MYR 2.37

105.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$12.36 MYR 50.5

483.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.00 MYR 4.09

124.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.24 MYR 5.06

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$8.32 MYR 33.99

6.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.90 MYR 3.68

74.44%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$40.9K MYR 167.2K

-46.76%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

-4.08%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$35.18 MYR 144

165.63%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$9.95 MYR 40.63

252.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$25.26 MYR 103

103.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$30.24 MYR 123

136.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$12.38 MYR 50.6

186.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$4.83 MYR 19.72

62.32%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$135 MYR 551

262.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$7,000 MYR 28.6K

69.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$63.3 MYR 258

-15.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$37.67 MYR 154

48.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$90.2 MYR 368

-12.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$65.8 MYR 269

19.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$360 MYR 1,471

118.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$245 MYR 1,001

218.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$647 MYR 2,642

496.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$478 MYR 1,953

194.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,073 MYR 8,464

236.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,508 MYR 6,157

-20.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$530 MYR 2,165

65.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.37

97.25%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Kuching

$245 27.8% 68.6% $535

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Kuching

$271 30.7% 22.5% $79

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Kuching

$119 13.4% 43.4% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Kuching

$70 8% 60.9% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Kuching

$116 13.1% 4% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kuching

$40 4.5% 54.2% $47

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kuching

$22 2.5% 74.8% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $360 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 65% 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 $25.00 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $271 per month, with Kuching cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

22:53 10:53 PM

12:53 12:53 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

349,147

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Kuching 17,830 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kuching

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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 65% 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 $360 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $887 in Kuching – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $887 in Kuching versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kuching the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kuching is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Kuching 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 Kuching gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.