Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redding, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,365 in Redding, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Redding, CA
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Redding, CA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Redding, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,365

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,365 per month in Redding, CA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Redding, CA $2,365
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,427 per month in Redding, CA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Redding, CA $3,427
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,489 per month in Redding, CA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Redding, CA $4,489
Nosara $3,814

Redding, CA costs about 29% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Redding, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Redding, CA by 75%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.79 $14.79

$12.34 ₡5,535

19.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-2.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 $11.88

$7.76 ₡3,481

53.09%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$4.44 ₡1,992

19.14%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$1.79 ₡803

36.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.29 ₡580

52.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 $5.82

$3.24 ₡1,451

79.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.43 ₡1,985

16.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.55 ₡696

-27.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.08 ₡1,380

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.53 ₡1,133

24.11%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$3.45 ₡1,546

14.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 $11.54

$7.32 ₡3,284

57.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.32 $16.32

$10.24 ₡4,594

59.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 $19.13

$14.10 ₡6,326

35.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$2.29 ₡1,027

154.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.64 ₡737

3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$4.79 ₡2,149

-41.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$1.64 ₡735

239.63%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.85 ₡1,727

4.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.75 ₡1,681

-16.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.09 ₡488

137.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.59 ₡1,160

-45.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$5.12 ₡2,295

131.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 $10.40

$19.92 ₡8,931

-47.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.80 ₡1,255

-36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 $3.74

$3.52 ₡1,580

6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.22 ₡549

165.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.49 $49.49

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-33.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.17 ₡973

46.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.56 ₡698

56.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.80 $40.80

$8.67 ₡3,886

370.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.55 ₡697

-5.16%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.29%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.50%

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

$186 $186

$94.8 ₡42.5K

96.17%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$36.15 ₡16.2K

64.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$53.1 ₡23.8K

26.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.31 $47.31

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-35.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 $10.83

$7.91 ₡3,548

36.92%

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

$2,763 $2,763

$490 ₡219.9K

463.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K $36.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

207.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$54.8 ₡24.6K

14.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.28 $32.28

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-42.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$80.4 ₡36.0K

9.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 $205

$77.9 ₡34.9K

163.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 $1,443

$801 ₡359.1K

80.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 $1,040

$790 ₡354.1K

31.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 $1,825

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-54.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$1,409 ₡632.0K

14.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 $2,784

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-60.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,589 $2,589

$1,236 ₡554.3K

109.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,744 $3,744

$887 ₡397.6K

322.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

8.62

-22.27%

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

Last update for Redding, CA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Redding, CA

$1K 44%

Nosara

$790 43% 24.1% $250

Groceries & Markets

Redding, CA

$416 17.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 16% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Redding, CA

$312 13.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 41.1% $128

Eating Out

Redding, CA

$275 11.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 22.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Redding, CA

$175 7.4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 30.8% $54

Getting Around

Redding, CA

$78 3.3%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 14% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Redding, CA

$69 2.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 29.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,443 in Redding, CA 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 322% higher in Redding, CA, 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 $60.0 in Redding, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $416 in Redding, CA vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Redding, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

11:52 11:52 AM

1 h ahead of Redding, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,582

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Redding, CA Nosara 4,960 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Redding, CA
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

Redding, CA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,365 in Redding, CA, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,547 per month in Redding, CA 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,763 per month in Redding, CA and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Redding, CA at $2,365. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Redding, CA 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 $1,835 in Nosara to $2,365 in Redding, CA. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Redding, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.