Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shah Alam and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Shah Alam: $933 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
Learn more

Shah Alam Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $933 per month in Shah Alam vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Shah Alam $933
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,429 per month in Shah Alam vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Shah Alam $1,429
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,925 per month in Shah Alam vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Shah Alam $1,925
Nosara $3,818

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

Shah Alam sits 31% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$12.35 ₡5,539

-69.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.34 MYR 78.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-68.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 MYR 17.16

$7.52 ₡3,373

-44.02%

Cappuccino

$2.87 MYR 11.70

$4.41 ₡1,978

-34.92%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$1.74 ₡780

-55.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.58

$1.31 ₡587

-70.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 MYR 13.85

$3.28 ₡1,471

3.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MYR 17.65

$4.47 ₡2,004

-3.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.29

$1.56 ₡701

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.31

$3.02 ₡1,355

-64.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.01

$2.51 ₡1,125

-41.43%

Eggs

$2.17 MYR 8.85

$3.57 ₡1,603

-39.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 MYR 55.4

$7.43 ₡3,333

82.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.78

$10.52 ₡4,717

-58.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.79

$13.97 ₡6,265

-31.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 MYR 14.38

$2.35 ₡1,052

50.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 MYR 6.61

$1.61 ₡720

0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.67

$4.80 ₡2,152

-45.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$1.61 ₡724

7.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.08

$3.80 ₡1,703

-67.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MYR 8.33

$3.69 ₡1,657

-44.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MYR 5.82

$1.13 ₡507

26.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MYR 17.66

$5.18 ₡2,321

-16.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.85 MYR 76.9

$19.88 ₡8,916

-5.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 MYR 11.26

$2.90 ₡1,300

-4.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 MYR 18.94

$3.63 ₡1,626

27.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$1.12 ₡504

-33.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.11 MYR 65.7

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-77.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$2.14 ₡958

-43.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$1.57 ₡703

-73.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.48 MYR 30.52

$8.52 ₡3,823

-12.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 MYR 3.32

$1.52 ₡682

-46.71%

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

$42.1K MYR 171.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

94.75%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

1.19%

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

$36.85 MYR 150

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-61.73%

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

$9.64 MYR 39.32

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-73.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.94 MYR 118

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-46.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.19 MYR 164

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-43.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.88 MYR 19.92

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-86.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 MYR 26.86

$7.89 ₡3,539

-16.60%

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

$199 MYR 812

$494 ₡221.6K

-59.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,548 MYR 18.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-61.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MYR 235

$53.9 ₡24.2K

6.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.52 MYR 161

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 MYR 277

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-12.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 MYR 285

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-12.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 MYR 1,386

$788 ₡353.4K

-56.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 MYR 1,255

$794 ₡356.2K

-61.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 MYR 2,301

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-85.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 MYR 2,283

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-60.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,502 MYR 6,128

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-78.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MYR 4,753

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-4.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,264 MYR 5,156

$864 ₡387.3K

46.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

8.62

-53.13%

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

Last update for Shah Alam: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shah Alam

$308 33%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 158% $487

Groceries & Markets

Shah Alam

$261 28%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 34.8% $91

Eating Out

Shah Alam

$107 11.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 97.8% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Shah Alam

$106 11.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 13.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shah Alam

$75 8.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 146% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Shah Alam

$53 5.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 63.8% $34

Getting Around

Shah Alam

$22 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 290% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $340 in Shah 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 46% higher in Shah 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 $19.00 in Shah Alam versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $352 – making Shah Alam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

00:54 12:54 AM

14 h behind Shah Alam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

812,327

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

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

From you

Shah 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $933 in Shah Alam, $1,839 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 Shah 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 Shah 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 351% less in Shah Alam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $199 per month in Shah Alam and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shah Alam, where all-in costs run around $933, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Shah 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 $933 in Shah 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 Shah 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.