Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $933 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 Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $933 per month in Sarawak vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Sarawak $933
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Sarawak vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Sarawak $1,391
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $1,849 per month in Sarawak vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Sarawak $1,849
Nosara $3,814

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 MYR 14.88

$12.34 ₡5,535

-70.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.77 MYR 80.6

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-67.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 MYR 19.38

$7.76 ₡3,481

-38.79%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.74

$4.44 ₡1,992

-35.14%

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

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$1.79 ₡803

-54.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.61

$1.29 ₡580

-69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 MYR 14.68

$3.24 ₡1,451

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.81

$4.43 ₡1,985

4.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.58

$1.55 ₡696

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$3.08 ₡1,380

-66.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.04

$2.53 ₡1,133

-41.50%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.32

$3.45 ₡1,546

-40.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 MYR 56.5

$7.32 ₡3,284

89.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 MYR 17.54

$10.24 ₡4,594

-58.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 MYR 38.47

$14.10 ₡6,326

-33.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MYR 12.83

$2.29 ₡1,027

37.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.97

$1.64 ₡737

4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 MYR 10.22

$4.79 ₡2,149

-47.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.55

$1.64 ₡735

-1.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.18

$3.85 ₡1,727

-67.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$3.75 ₡1,681

-69.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.79

$1.09 ₡488

7.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.18

$2.59 ₡1,160

-79.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

$5.12 ₡2,295

-11.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 MYR 78.0

$19.92 ₡8,931

-4.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 MYR 12.01

$2.80 ₡1,255

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$3.52 ₡1,580

28.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$1.22 ₡549

-41.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.57

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-83.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$2.17 ₡973

-42.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$1.56 ₡698

-67.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.21 MYR 29.41

$8.67 ₡3,886

-16.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$1.55 ₡697

-47.10%

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

$42.2K MYR 172.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

22.12%

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

$34.8K MYR 141.8K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-10.28%

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

$48.56 MYR 198

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-48.79%

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

$9.65 MYR 39.38

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-73.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.71 MYR 113

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-47.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.76 MYR 166

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-44.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.10 MYR 28.98

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-80.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.05

$7.91 ₡3,548

-37.80%

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

$190 MYR 775

$490 ₡219.9K

-61.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,067 MYR 28.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-40.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MYR 232

$54.8 ₡24.6K

3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 MYR 141

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-38.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 MYR 325

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-0.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 MYR 310

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,674

$801 ₡359.1K

-48.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,219

$790 ₡354.1K

-62.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 MYR 2,742

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-83.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MYR 1,946

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-66.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,042 MYR 8,329

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-71.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 MYR 4,381

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-13.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$339 MYR 1,381

$887 ₡397.6K

-61.82%

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 Sarawak: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarawak

$299 32%

Nosara

$790 43% 164% $491

Groceries & Markets

Sarawak

$258 27.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 35.8% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Sarawak

$111 11.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 8.9% $9.9

Eating Out

Sarawak

$110 11.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 93.4% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarawak

$86 9.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 114% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Sarawak

$51 5.4%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 77.1% $39

Getting Around

Sarawak

$19 2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 373% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $410 in Sarawak 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 162% 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 $20.00 in Sarawak versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $350 – making Sarawak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

08:39 8:39 AM

14 h behind Sarawak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

Sarawak Nosara 17,830 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Sarawak
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

Sarawak vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $933 in Sarawak, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 97% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,399 per month in Sarawak 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 Sarawak, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 508% less in Sarawak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $190 per month in Sarawak 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 Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $933, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Sarawak 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 $933 in Sarawak 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 Sarawak. 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.