Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah: $934 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
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Sandakan, Sabah Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$934

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $934 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $934
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,397 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,397
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $1,860 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,860
Nosara $3,814

Sandakan, Sabah is about 49% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sandakan, Sabah sits 31% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MYR 15.28

$12.34 ₡5,535

-69.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.24 MYR 78.5

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-68.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 MYR 19.45

$7.76 ₡3,481

-38.53%

Cappuccino

$2.83 MYR 11.53

$4.44 ₡1,992

-36.26%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$1.79 ₡803

-55.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.63

$1.29 ₡580

-68.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 MYR 15.39

$3.24 ₡1,451

16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.27

$4.43 ₡1,985

1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.55 ₡696

17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$3.08 ₡1,380

-66.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.09

$2.53 ₡1,133

-41.11%

Eggs

$2.05 MYR 8.37

$3.45 ₡1,546

-40.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 MYR 54.6

$7.32 ₡3,284

82.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.77

$10.24 ₡4,594

-57.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MYR 39.54

$14.10 ₡6,326

-31.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.39

$2.29 ₡1,027

43.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.83

$1.64 ₡737

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 MYR 9.85

$4.79 ₡2,149

-49.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.25

$1.64 ₡735

-6.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.35

$3.85 ₡1,727

-65.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.82

$3.75 ₡1,681

-68.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$1.09 ₡488

2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.15

$2.59 ₡1,160

-79.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.35

$5.12 ₡2,295

-12.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.33 MYR 78.9

$19.92 ₡8,931

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.30

$2.80 ₡1,255

7.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 MYR 18.55

$3.52 ₡1,580

29.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$1.22 ₡549

-40.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.43 MYR 50.7

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-83.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$2.17 ₡973

-45.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$1.56 ₡698

-67.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.51 MYR 30.63

$8.67 ₡3,886

-13.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.28

$1.55 ₡697

-48.39%

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

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

19.54%

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

$34.3K MYR 140.0K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-11.45%

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

$48.48 MYR 198

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-48.87%

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

$9.82 MYR 40.07

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-72.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.45 MYR 112

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-48.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.94 MYR 163

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-45.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.11 MYR 29.01

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-80.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MYR 20.14

$7.91 ₡3,548

-37.55%

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

$190 MYR 776

$490 ₡219.9K

-61.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,001 MYR 28.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-41.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 MYR 231

$54.8 ₡24.6K

3.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.71 MYR 142

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-37.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 MYR 333

$80.4 ₡36.0K

1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 MYR 309

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 MYR 1,644

$801 ₡359.1K

-49.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,221

$790 ₡354.1K

-62.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 MYR 2,779

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-82.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 MYR 1,994

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-65.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,002 MYR 8,167

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-71.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 MYR 4,402

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-12.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,220 MYR 4,976

$887 ₡397.6K

37.58%

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 Sandakan, Sabah: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandakan, Sabah

$299 32.1%

Nosara

$790 43% 164% $490

Groceries & Markets

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 27.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 35.7% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Sandakan, Sabah

$112 12%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 8.2% $9.1

Eating Out

Sandakan, Sabah

$111 11.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 92% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandakan, Sabah

$86 9.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 115% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Sandakan, Sabah

$50 5.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 79.9% $40

Getting Around

Sandakan, Sabah

$19 2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 367% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $403 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $801 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 38% higher in Sandakan, Sabah, 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 $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $350 – making Sandakan, Sabah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

15:15 3:15 PM

14 h behind Sandakan, Sabah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

439,050

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 20, 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 20, 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

Sandakan, Sabah Nosara 16,850 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Sandakan, Sabah
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

Sandakan, Sabah vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $934 in Sandakan, Sabah, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 96% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,401 per month in Sandakan, Sabah and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah, 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 Sandakan, Sabah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $190 per month in Sandakan, Sabah and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sandakan, Sabah, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Sandakan, Sabah 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 $934 in Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah. 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.