Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Subang Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Subang Jaya: $951 a month against $1,839 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
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Nosara Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Subang Jaya
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Subang Jaya Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Subang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Subang Jaya

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $951 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Subang Jaya $951

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,448 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Subang Jaya $1,448

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,945 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Subang Jaya $1,945

Nosara costs about 93% more than Subang Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.58 MYR 14.61

244.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$19.71 MYR 80.4

210.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.56 MYR 18.60

64.91%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.03 MYR 12.37

45.54%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.77 MYR 3.14

125.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.40 MYR 1.63

227.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.11 MYR 16.76

-20.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.53 MYR 18.47

-1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.85 MYR 7.55

-15.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.04 MYR 4.26

190.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.68 MYR 6.85

49.40%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.24 MYR 9.15

59.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.42 MYR 54.7

-44.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.54 MYR 18.53

131.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.45 MYR 34.46

65.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.06 MYR 12.48

-23.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.78 MYR 7.28

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.27 MYR 9.24

111.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.40 MYR 5.70

15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.11 MYR 4.52

242.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.12 MYR 4.58

229.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.09 MYR 4.46

3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.54 MYR 2.19

392.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.42 MYR 18.05

17.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$18.72 MYR 76.4

6.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.01 MYR 12.28

-3.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.90 MYR 20.00

-25.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.84 MYR 3.42

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$12.39 MYR 50.6

486.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.21 MYR 4.92

76.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.40 MYR 1.64

292.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.77 MYR 19.44

78.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.88 MYR 3.57

72.73%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$42.4K MYR 172.8K

-48.99%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.9K MYR 142.3K

-1.05%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$36.42 MYR 149

164.39%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.61 MYR 39.20

273.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$29.25 MYR 119

83.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$24.81 MYR 101

188.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$2.41 MYR 9.85

1348.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.04 MYR 20.56

56.55%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$296 MYR 1,209

66.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

10.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$59.5 MYR 243

-9.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$34.85 MYR 142

59.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$86.0 MYR 351

-9.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$70.6 MYR 288

12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$566 MYR 2,308

39.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$342 MYR 1,394

132.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$714 MYR 2,914

451.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$620 MYR 2,529

128.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,360 MYR 9,629

192.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,857 MYR 7,574

-34.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$918 MYR 3,747

-5.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.04

113.37%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Subang Jaya: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Subang Jaya

$342 36% 57% $453

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Subang Jaya

$254 26.7% 28% $99

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9% 46.7% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Subang Jaya

$75 7.9% 59.5% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9% 5.9% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Subang Jaya

$35 3.7% 60.1% $52

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Subang Jaya

$19 2% 78.2% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $566 in Subang Jaya. 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 6% higher in Subang Jaya, 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 $20.00 in Subang Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $254 – making Subang Jaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Subang Jaya

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

16:07 4:07 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

902,086

💱 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 Subang Jaya 18,360 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Subang Jaya

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 Subang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $951 in Subang Jaya – roughly 93% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,426 in Subang Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 486% less in Subang Jaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $296 in Subang Jaya. 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 Subang Jaya, where all-in costs run around $951, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Subang Jaya 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 $951 in Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya. 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.