Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Malang

For one person, living is cheaper in Malang: $474 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Malang
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Malang Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Malang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Malang

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $474 in Malang, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Malang $474

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $729 in Malang, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Malang $729

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $984 in Malang, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Malang $984

Nosara costs about 288% more than Malang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Malang is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.11 Rp 19.9K

1012.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$11.07 Rp 198.6K

452.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

172.46%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

229.10%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.60 Rp 10.7K

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.23 Rp 4,133

469.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

43.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.25 Rp 76.3K

5.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

57.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.12 Rp 20.1K

169.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

198.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

187.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.89 Rp 105.7K

26.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.09 Rp 55.5K

240.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.20 Rp 129.3K

94.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.02 Rp 36.2K

16.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.27 Rp 22.7K

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

203.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

12.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

192.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

92.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.47 Rp 8,413

140.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.42 Rp 7,556

533.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.65 Rp 47.5K

95.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.47 Rp 223.8K

59.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.67 Rp 30.0K

73.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.00 Rp 53.8K

21.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.60 Rp 10.7K

86.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$5.61 Rp 100.6K

1194.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.48 Rp 8,603

345.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.40 Rp 7,221

292.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.45 Rp 97.8K

56.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

105.41%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$24.9K Rp 447.5M

-13.36%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.7K Rp 497.2M

24.56%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$30.83 Rp 553.3K

212.33%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$2.41 Rp 43.2K

1389.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$19.51 Rp 350.0K

174.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$14.68 Rp 263.5K

387.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.47 Rp 80.2K

680.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

310.94%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$30.88 Rp 554.1K

1500.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$9,452 Rp 169.6M

25.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

-4.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$22.41 Rp 402.1K

147.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$51.9 Rp 931.9K

50.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$35.74 Rp 641.2K

122.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$136 Rp 2.4M

478.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$91.5 Rp 1.6M

767.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$193 Rp 3.5M

1938.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$156 Rp 2.8M

807.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$203 Rp 3.6M

324.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

115.50%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Malang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Malang

$92 19.3% 88.5% $703

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Malang

$169 35.7% 51.9% $183

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Malang

$56 11.9% 73.4% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Malang

$53 11.1% 71.6% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Malang

$75 15.8% 37.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Malang

$19 3.9% 78.8% $69

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Malang

$10 2.2% 88% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $136 in Malang. 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 325% 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 $11.00 in Malang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $169 – making Malang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇩 Malang

🕒 Local time

19:53 7:53 PM

08:53 8:53 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

857,891

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 17,943 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD). 1 EUR = 20,204 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.95 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Malang 17,990 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Malang

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 Malang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 288%, 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 $711 in Malang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1195% less in Malang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $30.88 in Malang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Malang, where all-in costs run around $474, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Malang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Malang – 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 Malang. 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.