Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ulu Tiram

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulu Tiram: $928 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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 Ulu Tiram
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Ulu Tiram Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Ulu Tiram

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$928

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ulu Tiram

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $928 in Ulu Tiram, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Ulu Tiram $928

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,372 in Ulu Tiram, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Ulu Tiram $1,372

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,816 in Ulu Tiram, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Ulu Tiram $1,816

Nosara costs about 98% more than Ulu Tiram, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Ulu Tiram is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$3.78 MYR 15.42

226.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$19.67 MYR 80.3

211.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$4.82 MYR 19.67

61.00%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.97 MYR 12.11

49.49%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.82 MYR 3.35

118.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.45 MYR 1.84

186.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$4.30 MYR 17.56

-24.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$6.09 MYR 24.86

-27.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.75 MYR 7.14

-11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.08 MYR 4.39

185.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.43 MYR 5.83

76.92%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.81 MYR 7.37

90.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$9.75 MYR 39.78

-24.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.04 MYR 16.50

153.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$9.51 MYR 38.81

48.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.27 MYR 13.32

-29.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.66 MYR 6.79

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.76 MYR 11.27

73.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.60 MYR 6.54

2.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.48 MYR 6.05

160.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.72 MYR 7.03

118.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.33 MYR 5.42

-18.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.51 MYR 2.10

407.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$4.28 MYR 17.47

19.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$16.85 MYR 68.7

18.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.93 MYR 11.96

-4.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.15 MYR 12.86

11.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.71 MYR 2.90

71.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$12.37 MYR 50.5

497.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.02 MYR 4.15

112.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.38 MYR 1.56

310.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$8.92 MYR 36.38

-2.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.80 MYR 3.27

93.75%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$42.5K MYR 173.5K

-18.75%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$34.1K MYR 139.0K

13.69%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$51.8 MYR 211

82.98%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$8.29 MYR 33.83

336.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$28.81 MYR 118

84.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$39.50 MYR 161

86.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$7.24 MYR 29.52

392.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$4.94 MYR 20.15

60.12%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$163 MYR 666

200.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,469 MYR 18.2K

165.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$54.7 MYR 223

0.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$17.26 MYR 70.4

223.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$77.4 MYR 316

3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$87.1 MYR 355

-10.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$409 MYR 1,669

95.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$307 MYR 1,253

157.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$677 MYR 2,762

491.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$479 MYR 1,955

194.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,005 MYR 8,177

252.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,100 MYR 4,489

12.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$843 MYR 3,439

5.18%

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 Ulu Tiram: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Ulu Tiram

$307 33.1% 61.1% $482

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Ulu Tiram

$239 25.7% 31.7% $111

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Ulu Tiram

$119 12.8% 44% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Ulu Tiram

$89 9.6% 51.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Ulu Tiram

$106 11.5% 12.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Ulu Tiram

$49 5.3% 44.9% $40

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Ulu Tiram

$18 2% 79.6% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $409 in Ulu Tiram. 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 5% 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 Ulu Tiram. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $239 – making Ulu Tiram the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇾 Ulu Tiram

🕒 Local time

14:47 2:47 PM

04:47 4:47 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

75,350

💱 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 Ulu Tiram 18,350 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ulu Tiram

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 Ulu Tiram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $928 in Ulu Tiram – roughly 98% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,392 in Ulu Tiram. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 497% less in Ulu Tiram. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $163 in Ulu Tiram. 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 Ulu Tiram, where all-in costs run around $928, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Ulu Tiram 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 $928 in Ulu Tiram 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 Ulu Tiram. 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.