Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Setia Alam and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Setia Alam: $913 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Setia Alam
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Setia Alam Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Setia Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $913 per month in Setia Alam vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Setia Alam $913
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,358 per month in Setia Alam vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Setia Alam $1,358
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,803 per month in Setia Alam vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Setia Alam $1,803
Nosara $3,818

Setia Alam is about 50% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Setia Alam sits 32% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 MYR 19.61

$12.35 ₡5,539

-61.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.57 MYR 100

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-59.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 MYR 20.22

$7.52 ₡3,373

-34.04%

Cappuccino

$2.76 MYR 11.27

$4.41 ₡1,978

-37.41%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$1.74 ₡780

-54.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$1.31 ₡587

-64.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

$3.28 ₡1,471

31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 MYR 24.50

$4.47 ₡2,004

34.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MYR 6.09

$1.56 ₡701

-4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$3.02 ₡1,355

-76.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.59 MYR 2.42

$2.51 ₡1,125

-76.49%

Eggs

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$3.57 ₡1,603

-66.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 MYR 56.4

$7.43 ₡3,333

86.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.83

$10.52 ₡4,717

-77.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.83

$13.97 ₡6,265

-82.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.04

$2.35 ₡1,052

-47.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.47

$1.61 ₡720

13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.11

$4.80 ₡2,152

-73.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$1.61 ₡724

-25.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$3.80 ₡1,703

-81.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 MYR 3.03

$3.69 ₡1,657

-79.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$1.13 ₡507

-38.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$2.66 ₡1,191

-72.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.64

$5.18 ₡2,321

-16.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.60 MYR 80.0

$19.88 ₡8,916

-1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$2.90 ₡1,300

23.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.84

$3.63 ₡1,626

33.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.08

$1.12 ₡504

-32.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 MYR 50.2

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-83.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$2.14 ₡958

-42.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$1.57 ₡703

-23.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 MYR 19.49

$8.52 ₡3,823

-43.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$1.52 ₡682

-68.42%

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

$39.2K MYR 159.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

81.33%

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

$33.0K MYR 134.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-4.32%

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

$61.2 MYR 250

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-36.47%

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

$8.52 MYR 34.77

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-76.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MYR 106

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-51.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.73 MYR 203

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.97 MYR 28.44

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-80.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MYR 20.82

$7.89 ₡3,539

-35.36%

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

$135 MYR 551

$494 ₡221.6K

-72.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,885 MYR 32.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-33.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 MYR 296

$53.9 ₡24.2K

34.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.31 MYR 111

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-50.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.8 MYR 220

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-30.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.56 MYR 149

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-54.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 MYR 2,160

$788 ₡353.4K

-32.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 MYR 1,319

$794 ₡356.2K

-59.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 MYR 3,562

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-77.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 MYR 2,238

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-61.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,992 MYR 8,128

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-71.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 MYR 4,498

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-9.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,143 MYR 4,663

$864 ₡387.3K

32.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-53.60%

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

Last update for Setia Alam: 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

Setia Alam

$323 35.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 146% $471

Groceries & Markets

Setia Alam

$200 21.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 76% $152

Eating Out

Setia Alam

$125 13.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 69.2% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Setia Alam

$96 10.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 94% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Setia Alam

$86 9.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 40.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Setia Alam

$60 6.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 45.8% $27

Getting Around

Setia Alam

$23 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 286% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Setia Alam 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 32% higher in Setia Alam, 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 $25.00 in Setia Alam versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $352 – making Setia Alam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Setia Alam

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

02:17 2:17 AM

14 h behind Setia Alam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,000

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 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

Setia Alam Nosara 18,360 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Setia Alam
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

Setia Alam vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $913 in Setia Alam, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 102% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 490% less in Setia Alam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $135 per month in Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam, where all-in costs run around $913, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Setia Alam 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 $913 in Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam. 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.