Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putrajaya and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Putrajaya: $818 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Putrajaya
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Putrajaya Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Putrajaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$818

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Putrajaya and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Putrajaya and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $818 per month in Putrajaya vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Putrajaya $818
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,232 per month in Putrajaya vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Putrajaya $1,232
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,646 per month in Putrajaya vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Putrajaya $1,646
Nosara $3,818

Putrajaya is about 56% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Putrajaya sits 39% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 MYR 15.41

$12.35 ₡5,539

-69.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 MYR 75.0

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-69.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.67

$7.52 ₡3,373

-39.10%

Cappuccino

$2.86 MYR 11.68

$4.41 ₡1,978

-35.15%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.28

$1.74 ₡780

-54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$1.31 ₡587

-70.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 MYR 14.92

$3.28 ₡1,471

11.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

$4.47 ₡2,004

1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MYR 6.83

$1.56 ₡701

7.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MYR 4.49

$3.02 ₡1,355

-63.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$2.51 ₡1,125

-41.43%

Eggs

$1.67 MYR 6.82

$3.57 ₡1,603

-53.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 MYR 32.00

$7.43 ₡3,333

5.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 MYR 19.09

$10.52 ₡4,717

-55.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 MYR 39.05

$13.97 ₡6,265

-31.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.82

$2.35 ₡1,052

2.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.15

$1.61 ₡720

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$4.80 ₡2,152

-52.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.65

$1.61 ₡724

1.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.37

$3.80 ₡1,703

-65.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.11

$3.69 ₡1,657

-59.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$1.13 ₡507

17.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.50

$5.18 ₡2,321

-17.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 MYR 54.1

$19.88 ₡8,916

-33.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 12.10

$2.90 ₡1,300

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.74

$3.63 ₡1,626

-14.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.84

$1.12 ₡504

-38.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.8

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-82.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MYR 3.92

$2.14 ₡958

-55.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.96

$1.57 ₡703

-69.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 MYR 40.51

$8.52 ₡3,823

16.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 MYR 3.01

$1.52 ₡682

-51.32%

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

$42.5K MYR 173.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

96.54%

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

$34.5K MYR 140.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-0.09%

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

$53.4 MYR 218

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-44.57%

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

$11.10 MYR 45.29

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-69.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.49 MYR 91.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-58.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.53 MYR 145

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-50.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.63 MYR 39.28

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-72.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.88

$7.89 ₡3,539

-38.28%

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

$506 MYR 2,063

$494 ₡221.6K

2.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,463 MYR 18.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-62.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 MYR 225

$53.9 ₡24.2K

2.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.63 MYR 67.9

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-69.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MYR 326

$77.9 ₡34.9K

2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MYR 355

$79.6 ₡35.7K

9.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,420

$788 ₡353.4K

-55.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 MYR 932

$794 ₡356.2K

-71.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 MYR 2,628

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-83.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 MYR 1,516

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-73.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,622 MYR 10.7K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-62.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,765 MYR 7,202

$1,224 ₡549.0K

44.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,043 MYR 4,255

$864 ₡387.3K

20.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

8.62

-52.90%

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

Last update for Putrajaya: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Putrajaya

$228 27.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 248% $566

Groceries & Markets

Putrajaya

$221 27%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 59.7% $132

Eating Out

Putrajaya

$110 13.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 91.8% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Putrajaya

$107 13.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 11.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putrajaya

$87 10.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 114% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Putrajaya

$45 5.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 93% $42

Getting Around

Putrajaya

$19 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 369% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $348 in Putrajaya versus $788 in Nosara. 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 21% higher in Putrajaya, 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 $18.00 in Putrajaya versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $352 – making Putrajaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Putrajaya

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:28 8:28 PM

06:28 6:28 AM

14 h behind Putrajaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,202

4,912

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

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).

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).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Putrajaya Nosara 18,370 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Putrajaya
Nosara

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

Putrajaya vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $818 in Putrajaya, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 125% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,227 per month in Putrajaya and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 483% less in Putrajaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $506 per month in Putrajaya and $494 in Nosara. 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 Putrajaya, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Putrajaya 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 $818 in Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya. 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.