Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sentul and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sentul: $878 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Sentul
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Sentul Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sentul

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$878

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $878 per month in Sentul vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Sentul $878
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,334 per month in Sentul vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Sentul $1,334
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,790 per month in Sentul vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Sentul $1,790
Nosara $3,818

Sentul is about 52% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sentul sits 35% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.84

$12.35 ₡5,539

-70.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 MYR 90.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-63.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 MYR 20.53

$7.52 ₡3,373

-33.11%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.21

$4.41 ₡1,978

-32.20%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$1.74 ₡780

-52.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.10

$1.31 ₡587

-61.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.38

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 MYR 23.93

$4.47 ₡2,004

31.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MYR 6.92

$1.56 ₡701

8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$3.02 ₡1,355

-65.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.80

$2.51 ₡1,125

-43.43%

Eggs

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$3.57 ₡1,603

-51.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.66 MYR 39.39

$7.43 ₡3,333

30.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.94

$10.52 ₡4,717

-69.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 MYR 38.56

$13.97 ₡6,265

-32.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 MYR 13.26

$2.35 ₡1,052

38.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.87

$1.61 ₡720

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 MYR 10.81

$4.80 ₡2,152

-44.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MYR 6.53

$1.61 ₡724

-0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.97

$3.80 ₡1,703

-61.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.70

$3.69 ₡1,657

-55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MYR 5.38

$1.13 ₡507

16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MYR 16.99

$5.18 ₡2,321

-19.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 MYR 56.7

$19.88 ₡8,916

-30.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MYR 10.81

$2.90 ₡1,300

-8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.68

$3.63 ₡1,626

-14.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 MYR 3.31

$1.12 ₡504

-27.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.06 MYR 49.19

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-83.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MYR 3.91

$2.14 ₡958

-55.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.57

$1.57 ₡703

-75.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 MYR 36.60

$8.52 ₡3,823

5.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.54

$1.52 ₡682

-42.76%

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

$41.2K MYR 168.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

90.76%

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

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-5.75%

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

$49.70 MYR 203

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-48.39%

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

$8.10 MYR 33.04

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-77.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 MYR 112

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-48.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 MYR 168

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-42.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.45 MYR 30.40

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-78.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 MYR 20.57

$7.89 ₡3,539

-36.12%

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

$161 MYR 658

$494 ₡221.6K

-67.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,446 MYR 18.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-62.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 MYR 206

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-6.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.38 MYR 66.8

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-70.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 MYR 315

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-1.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 MYR 349

$79.6 ₡35.7K

7.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,419

$788 ₡353.4K

-55.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 MYR 1,150

$794 ₡356.2K

-64.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 MYR 2,883

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-82.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 MYR 1,976

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-65.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,147 MYR 8,759

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-68.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,058 MYR 4,315

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-13.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$890 MYR 3,631

$864 ₡387.3K

3.08%

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 Sentul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sentul

$282 32.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 182% $512

Groceries & Markets

Sentul

$224 25.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 57% $128

Eating Out

Sentul

$114 12.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 86.4% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Sentul

$103 11.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 16.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sentul

$85 9.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 118% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Sentul

$51 5.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 70.7% $36

Getting Around

Sentul

$18 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 379% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $348 in Sentul 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 3% higher in Sentul, 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 $22.00 in Sentul versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $224 vs $352 – making Sentul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sentul

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

14:49 2:49 PM

14 h behind Sentul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

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 17, 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 17, 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

Sentul Nosara 18,340 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Sentul
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

Sentul vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $878 in Sentul, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 109% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,317 per month in Sentul 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 Sentul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 502% less in Sentul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $161 per month in Sentul 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 Sentul, where all-in costs run around $878, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sentul 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 $878 in Sentul 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 Sentul. 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.