Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tawau

For one person, living is cheaper in Tawau: $888 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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 Tawau
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Tawau Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Tawau

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tawau

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $888 in Tawau, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Tawau $888

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,354 in Tawau, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Tawau $1,354

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,820 in Tawau, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Tawau $1,820

Nosara costs about 107% more than Tawau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Tawau is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$3.14 MYR 12.80

292.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$19.22 MYR 78.4

219.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$4.21 MYR 17.19

84.32%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.15 MYR 12.86

40.95%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.95 MYR 3.86

88.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.36 MYR 1.46

258.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.66 MYR 10.83

21.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.52 MYR 18.45

-1.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.74 MYR 7.10

-10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.00 MYR 4.09

208.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.49 MYR 6.06

69.80%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.16 MYR 8.80

59.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$14.36 MYR 58.6

-49.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.35 MYR 17.75

135.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$9.83 MYR 40.10

43.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.04 MYR 12.41

-24.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.48 MYR 10.13

93.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.49 MYR 6.10

10.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.31 MYR 5.32

193.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.21 MYR 4.94

209.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.07 MYR 4.37

1.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.57 MYR 2.31

354.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$4.48 MYR 18.30

14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$19.05 MYR 77.7

4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$3.02 MYR 12.32

-7.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$4.98 MYR 20.32

-29.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.70 MYR 2.84

74.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$12.41 MYR 50.6

495.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.25 MYR 5.11

73.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.48 MYR 1.97

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$6.98 MYR 28.49

24.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.87 MYR 3.57

78.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$50.2K MYR 204.8K

-31.18%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$36.0K MYR 146.9K

7.59%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$49.37 MYR 201

92.06%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$10.55 MYR 43.02

242.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$28.74 MYR 117

84.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$43.34 MYR 177

70.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$6.82 MYR 27.83

422.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$3.77 MYR 15.39

109.81%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$183 MYR 746

168.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,623 MYR 31.1K

55.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$58.9 MYR 240

-6.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$33.06 MYR 135

69.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$74.3 MYR 303

8.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$88.2 MYR 360

-11.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$387 MYR 1,578

106.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$253 MYR 1,030

212.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$596 MYR 2,433

571.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$447 MYR 1,823

215.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,936 MYR 7,900

264.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,216 MYR 4,962

1.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$418 MYR 1,707

111.89%

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 Tawau: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Tawau

$253 28.4% 68% $537

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Tawau

$260 29.2% 25.8% $90

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Tawau

$103 11.6% 51.5% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Tawau

$89 10% 51.8% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Tawau

$114 12.9% 5.4% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Tawau

$51 5.7% 43.2% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Tawau

$19 2.1% 78.7% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $387 in Tawau. 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 112% 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 $19.00 in Tawau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $260 – making Tawau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Tawau

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

22:17 10:17 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

420,806

💱 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 Tawau 16,970 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tawau

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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $888 in Tawau – roughly 107% 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 $1,332 in Tawau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 495% less in Tawau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $183 in Tawau. 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 Tawau, where all-in costs run around $888, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Tawau 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 $888 in Tawau 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 Tawau. 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.