Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Seri Iskandar

For one person, living is cheaper in Seri Iskandar: $708 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Seri Iskandar
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Seri Iskandar Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Seri Iskandar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Seri Iskandar

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

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $708 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

Nosara $1,846
Seri Iskandar $708

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $917 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

Nosara $2,833
Seri Iskandar $917

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $1,126 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

Nosara $3,820
Seri Iskandar $1,126

Nosara costs about 161% more than Seri Iskandar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Seri Iskandar is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,575

$2.74 MYR 11.18

351.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$29.75 MYR 121

104.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,557

$4.72 MYR 19.24

66.95%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,986

$1.02 MYR 4.15

331.37%

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

$1.72 ₡776

$0.52 MYR 2.13

230.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₡603

$0.26 MYR 1.06

415.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,505

$2.99 MYR 12.19

11.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,048

$3.62 MYR 14.73

25.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

$1.58 MYR 6.43

3.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,426

$0.95 MYR 3.88

232.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,080

$0.51 MYR 2.09

368.63%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$2.03 MYR 8.25

70.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,217

$5.31 MYR 21.65

34.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,655

$1.94 MYR 7.89

431.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,302

$4.47 MYR 18.21

212.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,031

$2.16 MYR 8.80

6.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.69 MYR 6.88

-4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,169

$1.98 MYR 8.06

142.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

$1.03 MYR 4.19

63.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,765

$0.63 MYR 2.56

520.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,640

$0.95 MYR 3.89

282.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡509

$1.02 MYR 4.15

10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$0.63 MYR 2.56

317.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,267

$4.39 MYR 17.87

14.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,893

$7.42 MYR 30.21

165.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,314

$2.44 MYR 9.93

19.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,597

$3.72 MYR 15.15

-4.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

$1.08 MYR 4.41

12.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

$12.26 MYR 49.96

501.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡969

$1.02 MYR 4.17

110.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

$1.24 MYR 5.03

31.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,958

$4.87 MYR 19.83

80.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$0.61 MYR 2.50

154.10%

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$19.4K MYR 78.9K

74.92%

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

$38.5K ₡17.4M

$19.6K MYR 79.8K

96.39%

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

$62.8 MYR 256

51.68%

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

$36.29 ₡16.4K

$8.98 MYR 36.60

304.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

$16.79 MYR 68.4

209.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

$13.48 MYR 54.9

401.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

$6.76 MYR 27.55

425.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,404

$3.73 MYR 15.21

102.14%

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

$496 ₡224.0K

$237 MYR 965

109.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

$13.1K MYR 53.4K

-10.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

$16.83 MYR 68.6

227.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

$8.68 MYR 35.36

546.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

$60.4 MYR 246

28.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

$37.27 MYR 152

112.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡368.9K

$419 MYR 1,707

95.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₡363.6K

$287 MYR 1,169

180.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,988 ₡1.8M

$779 MYR 3,175

411.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₡644.9K

$162 MYR 659

783.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

$2,030 MYR 8,271

248.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.1K

$1,168 MYR 4,758

2.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

$366 MYR 1,489

142.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

331.00%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Seri Iskandar: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$806 43.7%

Seri Iskandar

$287 40.6% 64.4% $519

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$351 19%

Seri Iskandar

$158 22.4% 54.9% $193

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Seri Iskandar

$74 10.4% 65.5% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 9.9%

Seri Iskandar

$89 12.5% 51.8% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.5%

Seri Iskandar

$55 7.8% 54% $65

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Seri Iskandar

$24 3.4% 73.2% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Seri Iskandar

$21 3% 74.7% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $419 in Seri Iskandar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Nosara are about 2.4 times higher, 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 in Nosara versus $30 in Seri Iskandar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $158 – making Seri Iskandar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Seri Iskandar

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

01:36 1:36 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

14,827

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Seri Iskandar 18,260 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Seri Iskandar

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 Seri Iskandar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,846 in Nosara, $708 in Seri Iskandar – roughly 161% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $1,061 in Seri Iskandar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seri Iskandar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $419 there versus $817 in Nosara.

Public transport costs about 83% less in Seri Iskandar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Nosara and $237 in Seri Iskandar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Seri Iskandar, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Nosara at $1,846. In Seri Iskandar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seri Iskandar – 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 Seri Iskandar. 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.