Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Nilai

For one person, living is cheaper in Nilai: $944 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Nilai
Learn more

Nilai Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Nilai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Nilai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $944 in Nilai.

Nosara $1,835
Nilai $944

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,408 in Nilai.

Nosara $2,825
Nilai $1,408

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $1,873 in Nilai.

Nosara $3,814
Nilai $1,873

Living in Nosara is roughly 95% more expensive than in Nilai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Nilai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$3.61 MYR 14.71

241.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$19.70 MYR 80.4

211.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$6.16 MYR 25.13

25.97%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.45 MYR 14.09

28.70%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.81 MYR 3.32

120.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.38 MYR 1.56

239.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.56 MYR 14.54

-8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.48 MYR 18.29

-1.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.73 MYR 7.05

-10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.38 MYR 5.65

123.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.43 MYR 5.84

76.92%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.22 MYR 9.06

55.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$13.82 MYR 56.4

-47.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.32 MYR 17.61

137.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$9.83 MYR 40.11

43.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.22 MYR 13.15

-28.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.69 MYR 6.91

-2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.47 MYR 10.07

93.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.55 MYR 6.33

5.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.28 MYR 5.21

200.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.29 MYR 5.27

190.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.18 MYR 4.81

-7.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.56 MYR 2.29

362.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$4.97 MYR 20.29

3.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$20.83 MYR 85.0

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.60 MYR 10.60

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-19.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.73 MYR 2.99

67.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$13.51 MYR 55.1

447.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.12 MYR 4.57

93.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.52 MYR 2.11

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$8.45 MYR 34.46

2.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.96 MYR 3.93

61.46%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$42.8K MYR 174.4K

-19.21%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$30.6K MYR 125.0K

26.43%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$49.33 MYR 201

92.22%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$9.58 MYR 39.06

277.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$28.03 MYR 114

89.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$36.98 MYR 151

99.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$6.36 MYR 25.94

460.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$4.79 MYR 19.55

65.14%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$186 MYR 759

163.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,358 MYR 25.9K

86.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$49.57 MYR 202

10.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$37.46 MYR 153

49.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$75.4 MYR 308

6.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$81.2 MYR 331

-4.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$382 MYR 1,558

109.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$297 MYR 1,210

166.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$665 MYR 2,715

501.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$477 MYR 1,947

195.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,219 MYR 9,052

218.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$979 MYR 3,993

26.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$1,393 MYR 5,683

-36.36%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Nilai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Nilai

$297 31.4% 62.4% $493

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Nilai

$263 27.9% 24.7% $86

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Nilai

$120 12.8% 43.4% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Nilai

$87 9.2% 52.8% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Nilai

$110 11.6% 9.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Nilai

$47 4.9% 48% $43

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Nilai

$20 2.1% 77.3% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $382 in Nilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nilai pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $20.00 in Nilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $263 per month, with Nilai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Nilai

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

06:37 6:37 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

38,612

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Nilai 18,370 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Nilai

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 Nilai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nilai wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nilai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Nilai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $382 in Nilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $944 in Nilai – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nilai runs roughly 447% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $944 in Nilai versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nilai but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Nilai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nilai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $944 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nilai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Nilai 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 Nilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.