Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Putra Heights

For one person, living is cheaper in Putra Heights: $942 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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 Putra Heights
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Putra Heights Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Putra Heights

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$942

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Putra Heights

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $942 in Putra Heights, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Putra Heights $942

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,398 in Putra Heights, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Putra Heights $1,398

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,855 in Putra Heights, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Putra Heights $1,855

Nosara costs about 95% more than Putra Heights, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Putra Heights is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.75 MYR 15.29

229.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$18.38 MYR 75.0

232.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.88 MYR 19.93

54.10%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.98 MYR 12.15

47.99%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.85 MYR 3.47

104.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.44 MYR 1.81

197.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.52 MYR 18.45

-27.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.15 MYR 25.10

-27.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.75 MYR 7.12

-10.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.11 MYR 4.53

172.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.48 MYR 6.02

69.59%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.74 MYR 7.09

105.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.83 MYR 56.4

-46.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.32 MYR 17.62

143.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.66 MYR 39.39

44.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.42 MYR 13.97

-31.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.66 MYR 6.78

-3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.32 MYR 9.45

106.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.55 MYR 6.31

3.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.29 MYR 5.25

194.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.35 MYR 5.52

173.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.17 MYR 4.78

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.52 MYR 2.10

411.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.40 MYR 17.93

17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.00 MYR 57.1

42.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.89 MYR 11.79

0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.10 MYR 12.66

17.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.75 MYR 3.07

49.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$12.05 MYR 49.14

502.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.01 MYR 4.11

111.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.70 MYR 2.86

124.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.99 MYR 20.35

70.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.83 MYR 3.37

83.13%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$42.1K MYR 171.8K

-48.67%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.1K MYR 143.3K

-1.73%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$63.4 MYR 259

51.83%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.81 MYR 35.92

307.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$26.68 MYR 109

100.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$39.80 MYR 162

79.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.32 MYR 29.87

376.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.06 MYR 20.64

55.93%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$162 MYR 659

205.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,415 MYR 22.1K

118.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$53.4 MYR 218

1.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.30 MYR 66.5

239.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$81.8 MYR 334

-4.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$96.5 MYR 393

-17.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$405 MYR 1,654

94.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$298 MYR 1,214

166.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$675 MYR 2,753

483.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$480 MYR 1,958

195.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,835 MYR 7,484

276.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$944 MYR 3,851

29.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,121 MYR 4,575

-22.99%

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 Putra Heights: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Putra Heights

$298 31.6% 62.5% $497

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Putra Heights

$244 25.9% 30.8% $109

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Putra Heights

$120 12.8% 43.1% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Putra Heights

$99 10.5% 46.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Putra Heights

$112 11.9% 7.1% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Putra Heights

$50 5.3% 42.9% $37

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Putra Heights

$20 2.1% 77.5% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $405 in Putra Heights. 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 30% higher in Putra Heights, 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 $18.00 in Putra Heights. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $244 – making Putra Heights the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Putra Heights

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

15:24 3:24 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

60,000

💱 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 Putra Heights 18,370 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Putra Heights

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 Putra Heights: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $942 in Putra Heights – roughly 95% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,412 in Putra Heights. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 503% less in Putra Heights. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $162 in Putra Heights. 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 Putra Heights, where all-in costs run around $942, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Putra Heights it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $942 in Putra Heights to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Putra Heights. 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.