Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Subang Jaya and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Subang Jaya: $951 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Subang Jaya
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Subang Jaya Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Subang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $951 per month in Subang Jaya vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Subang Jaya $951
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,448 per month in Subang Jaya vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Subang Jaya $1,448
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,945 per month in Subang Jaya vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Subang Jaya $1,945
Nosara $3,818

Subang Jaya is about 48% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Subang Jaya sits 30% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.61

$12.35 ₡5,539

-71.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.71 MYR 80.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-67.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.60

$7.52 ₡3,373

-39.36%

Cappuccino

$3.03 MYR 12.37

$4.41 ₡1,978

-31.29%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.14

$1.74 ₡780

-55.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.63

$1.31 ₡587

-69.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 MYR 16.76

$3.28 ₡1,471

25.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.47

$4.47 ₡2,004

1.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.55

$1.56 ₡701

18.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$3.02 ₡1,355

-65.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.85

$2.51 ₡1,125

-33.07%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.15

$3.57 ₡1,603

-37.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 MYR 54.7

$7.43 ₡3,333

80.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 MYR 18.53

$10.52 ₡4,717

-56.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 MYR 34.46

$13.97 ₡6,265

-39.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 MYR 12.48

$2.35 ₡1,052

30.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.28

$1.61 ₡720

10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MYR 9.24

$4.80 ₡2,152

-52.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.70

$1.61 ₡724

-13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$3.80 ₡1,703

-70.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.58

$3.69 ₡1,657

-69.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.46

$1.13 ₡507

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MYR 18.05

$5.18 ₡2,321

-14.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 MYR 76.4

$19.88 ₡8,916

-5.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 MYR 12.28

$2.90 ₡1,300

3.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MYR 20.00

$3.63 ₡1,626

34.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 MYR 3.42

$1.12 ₡504

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.39 MYR 50.6

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-82.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$2.14 ₡958

-43.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MYR 1.64

$1.57 ₡703

-74.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 MYR 19.44

$8.52 ₡3,823

-44.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.57

$1.52 ₡682

-42.11%

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

$42.4K MYR 172.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

96.04%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

1.06%

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

$36.42 MYR 149

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-62.18%

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

$9.61 MYR 39.20

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-73.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.25 MYR 119

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-45.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.81 MYR 101

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-65.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.41 MYR 9.85

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-93.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 MYR 20.56

$7.89 ₡3,539

-36.12%

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

$296 MYR 1,209

$494 ₡221.6K

-40.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-9.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 MYR 243

$53.9 ₡24.2K

10.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 MYR 142

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-37.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 MYR 351

$77.9 ₡34.9K

10.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 MYR 288

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-11.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 MYR 2,308

$788 ₡353.4K

-28.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 MYR 1,394

$794 ₡356.2K

-56.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 MYR 2,914

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MYR 2,529

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-56.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 MYR 9,629

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-65.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,857 MYR 7,574

$1,224 ₡549.0K

51.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$918 MYR 3,747

$864 ₡387.3K

6.35%

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 Subang Jaya: 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

Subang Jaya

$342 36%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 132% $453

Groceries & Markets

Subang Jaya

$254 26.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 38.9% $99

Eating Out

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 87.5% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 6.3% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Subang Jaya

$75 7.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 147% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Subang Jaya

$35 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 150% $52

Getting Around

Subang Jaya

$19 2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 359% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $566 in Subang Jaya 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 6% higher in Subang Jaya, 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 $20.00 in Subang Jaya versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $352 – making Subang Jaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Subang Jaya

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:11 4:11 PM

02:11 2:11 AM

14 h behind Subang Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

902,086

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

Subang Jaya Nosara 18,360 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Subang Jaya
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

Subang Jaya vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $951 in Subang Jaya, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 93% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,426 per month in Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 486% less in Subang Jaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $296 per month in Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya, where all-in costs run around $951, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Subang Jaya 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 $951 in Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya. 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.