Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sarawak

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $933 a month against $1,835 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sarawak

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $933 in Sarawak, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Sarawak $933

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,391 in Sarawak, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Sarawak $1,391

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,849 in Sarawak, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Sarawak $1,849

Nosara costs about 97% more than Sarawak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Sarawak is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$3.65 MYR 14.88

238.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$19.77 MYR 80.6

210.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$4.75 MYR 19.38

63.37%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.88 MYR 11.74

54.17%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.81 MYR 3.29

120.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.39 MYR 1.61

230.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.60 MYR 14.68

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.61 MYR 18.81

-3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.86 MYR 7.58

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.04 MYR 4.24

196.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.48 MYR 6.04

70.95%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.04 MYR 8.32

69.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$13.84 MYR 56.5

-47.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.30 MYR 17.54

138.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$9.43 MYR 38.47

49.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.14 MYR 12.83

-27.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.71 MYR 6.97

-4.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.51 MYR 10.22

90.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.61 MYR 6.55

1.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.27 MYR 5.18

203.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.15 MYR 4.68

226.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.17 MYR 4.79

-6.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.53 MYR 2.18

388.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$4.54 MYR 18.52

12.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$19.12 MYR 78.0

4.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.94 MYR 12.01

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$4.51 MYR 18.38

-21.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.71 MYR 2.89

71.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$12.15 MYR 49.57

508.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.25 MYR 5.10

73.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.51 MYR 2.07

205.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$7.21 MYR 29.41

20.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.82 MYR 3.34

89.02%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$42.2K MYR 172.1K

-18.11%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$34.8K MYR 141.8K

11.46%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$48.56 MYR 198

95.26%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$9.65 MYR 39.38

274.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$27.71 MYR 113

91.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$40.76 MYR 166

81.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$7.10 MYR 28.98

401.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$4.92 MYR 20.05

60.77%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$190 MYR 775

158.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,067 MYR 28.8K

68.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$56.8 MYR 232

-3.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$34.52 MYR 141

61.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$79.8 MYR 325

0.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$75.9 MYR 310

2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$410 MYR 1,674

95.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$299 MYR 1,219

164.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$672 MYR 2,742

495.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$477 MYR 1,946

195.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,042 MYR 8,329

246.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,074 MYR 4,381

15.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$339 MYR 1,381

161.90%

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 Sarawak: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Sarawak

$299 32% 62.2% $491

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Sarawak

$258 27.6% 26.3% $92

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Sarawak

$110 11.8% 48.3% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Sarawak

$86 9.2% 53.3% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Sarawak

$111 11.9% 8.2% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Sarawak

$51 5.4% 43.5% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Sarawak

$19 2% 78.8% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $410 in Sarawak. 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 162% 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 $20.00 in Sarawak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $258 – making Sarawak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

23:32 11:32 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 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 Sarawak 17,830 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sarawak

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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $933 in Sarawak – roughly 97% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,399 in Sarawak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 508% less in Sarawak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $190 in Sarawak. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $933, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Sarawak 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 $933 in Sarawak to $1,835 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 Sarawak. 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.