Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sentul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sentul: $878 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Sentul
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Sentul Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Sentul

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sentul

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $878 in Sentul, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Sentul $878

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,334 in Sentul, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Sentul $1,334

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,790 in Sentul, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Sentul $1,790

Nosara costs about 109% more than Sentul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Sentul is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.64 MYR 14.84

239.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$22.09 MYR 90.1

176.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.03 MYR 20.53

49.50%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.99 MYR 12.21

47.49%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.83 MYR 3.40

109.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.51 MYR 2.10

156.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.28 MYR 13.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.87 MYR 23.93

-23.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.70 MYR 6.92

-8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.03 MYR 4.21

193.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.42 MYR 5.80

76.76%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.74 MYR 7.11

105.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.66 MYR 39.39

-23.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.17 MYR 12.94

231.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.45 MYR 38.56

47.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.25 MYR 13.26

-27.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.68 MYR 6.87

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.65 MYR 10.81

81.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.60 MYR 6.53

0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.46 MYR 5.97

160.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.64 MYR 6.70

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.32 MYR 5.38

-14.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.51 MYR 2.08

421.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.16 MYR 16.99

24.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.89 MYR 56.7

43.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.65 MYR 10.81

9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.11 MYR 12.68

16.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.81 MYR 3.31

38.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$12.06 MYR 49.19

502.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.96 MYR 3.91

122.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.38 MYR 1.57

313.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.97 MYR 36.60

-5.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.87 MYR 3.54

74.71%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$41.2K MYR 168.2K

-47.58%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

6.10%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$49.70 MYR 203

93.74%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.10 MYR 33.04

343.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$27.39 MYR 112

95.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$41.09 MYR 168

74.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.45 MYR 30.40

368.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.04 MYR 20.57

56.55%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$161 MYR 658

206.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,446 MYR 18.1K

166.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$50.5 MYR 206

6.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.38 MYR 66.8

238.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$77.1 MYR 315

1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$85.6 MYR 349

-7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$348 MYR 1,419

126.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$282 MYR 1,150

181.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$707 MYR 2,883

457.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$484 MYR 1,976

193.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,147 MYR 8,759

221.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,058 MYR 4,315

15.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$890 MYR 3,631

-2.98%

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 Sentul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Sentul

$282 32.1% 64.5% $512

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Sentul

$224 25.6% 36.3% $128

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Sentul

$114 12.9% 46.4% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Sentul

$85 9.7% 54.1% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sentul

$103 11.8% 14% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sentul

$51 5.8% 41.4% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sentul

$18 2.1% 79.1% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $348 in Sentul. 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 3% higher in Sentul, 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 $22.00 in Sentul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $224 – making Sentul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Sentul

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

11:20 11:20 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

100,000

💱 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 Sentul 18,340 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sentul

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 Sentul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $878 in Sentul – roughly 109% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,317 in Sentul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 502% less in Sentul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $161 in Sentul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sentul, where all-in costs run around $878, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sentul 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 $878 in Sentul 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 Sentul. 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.