Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redlands, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,621 in Redlands, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Redlands, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,621

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,621 per month in Redlands, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Redlands, CA $3,621
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $5,009 per month in Redlands, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Redlands, CA $5,009
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,397 per month in Redlands, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Redlands, CA $6,397
Nosara $3,818

Redlands, CA costs about 97% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Redlands, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Redlands, CA by 168%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.97 $24.97

$12.35 ₡5,539

102.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

24.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.32 $16.32

$7.52 ₡3,373

117.02%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$4.41 ₡1,978

38.78%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.74 ₡780

74.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.31 ₡587

83.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.28 ₡1,471

142.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.15 $10.15

$4.47 ₡2,004

127.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.56 ₡701

-13.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.74 $4.74

$3.02 ₡1,355

56.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.51 ₡1,125

88.84%

Eggs

$5.64 $5.64

$3.57 ₡1,603

57.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$7.43 ₡3,333

80.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 $11.03

$10.52 ₡4,717

4.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.78 $19.78

$13.97 ₡6,265

41.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.35 ₡1,052

115.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.61 ₡720

50.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$4.80 ₡2,152

2.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.61 ₡724

238.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.80 ₡1,703

-9.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.69 ₡1,657

-18.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.13 ₡507

82.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.66 ₡1,191

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$5.18 ₡2,321

125.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 $14.92

$19.88 ₡8,916

-24.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.90 ₡1,300

-16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.63 ₡1,626

36.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.12 ₡504

80.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.71 $34.71

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-52.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.14 ₡958

45.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.57 ₡703

14.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.29 $32.29

$8.52 ₡3,823

278.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.52 ₡682

-1.32%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

68.00%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.71%

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

$277 $277

$96.3 ₡43.2K

188.07%

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

$80.9 $80.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

125.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.8 $79.8

$53.6 ₡24.0K

48.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.19 $25.19

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-64.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$19.98 $19.98

$7.89 ₡3,539

153.23%

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

$1,188 $1,188

$494 ₡221.6K

140.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.1K $32.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

170.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 $62.5

$53.9 ₡24.2K

15.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$77.9 ₡34.9K

35.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$79.6 ₡35.7K

32.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 $1,937

$788 ₡353.4K

145.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 $2,059

$794 ₡356.2K

159.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,465 $3,465

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-12.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,070 $3,070

$1,419 ₡636.5K

116.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,057 $4,057

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-41.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,156 $4,156

$1,224 ₡549.0K

239.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,746 $4,746

$864 ₡387.3K

449.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

8.62

-20.42%

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

Last update for Redlands, CA: 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

Redlands, CA

$2.1K 56.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 61.4% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Redlands, CA

$454 12.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 22.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Redlands, CA

$438 12.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 57.6% $252

Eating Out

Redlands, CA

$404 11.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 47.6% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Redlands, CA

$146 4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Redlands, CA

$65 1.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 34.1% $22

Getting Around

Redlands, CA

$55 1.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 58.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,937 in Redlands, CA 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 450% higher in Redlands, 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 $76.0 in Redlands, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $454 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Redlands, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

15:04 3:04 PM

1 h ahead of Redlands, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,747

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Redlands, CA Nosara 4,180 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Redlands, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,621 in Redlands, CA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 97% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,431 per month in Redlands, CA 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 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 109% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,188 per month in Redlands, CA and $494 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 $1,839, than in Redlands, CA at $3,621. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Redlands, 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $3,621 in Redlands, 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, Redlands, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.