Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Walnut Creek, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,696 in Walnut Creek, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Walnut Creek, CA
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Walnut Creek, CA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Walnut Creek, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,696

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,696 per month in Walnut Creek, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Walnut Creek, CA $3,696
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $5,404 per month in Walnut Creek, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Walnut Creek, CA $5,404
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $7,112 per month in Walnut Creek, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Walnut Creek, CA $7,112
Nosara $3,818

Walnut Creek, CA costs about 101% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Walnut Creek, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Walnut Creek, CA by 174%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$12.35 ₡5,539

62.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 $91.6

$61.2 ₡27.4K

49.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 $15.07

$7.52 ₡3,373

100.40%

Cappuccino

$5.58 $5.58

$4.41 ₡1,978

26.53%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$1.74 ₡780

67.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.31 ₡587

74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$3.28 ₡1,471

143.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.47 ₡2,004

74.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.56 ₡701

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.02 ₡1,355

25.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.51 ₡1,125

33.86%

Eggs

$5.66 $5.66

$3.57 ₡1,603

58.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.93 $25.93

$7.43 ₡3,333

248.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.63 $18.63

$10.52 ₡4,717

77.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.55 $22.55

$13.97 ₡6,265

61.42%

Apples (1kg)

$8.00 $8.00

$2.35 ₡1,052

240.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.61 ₡720

32.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$4.80 ₡2,152

-30.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$1.61 ₡724

312.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$3.80 ₡1,703

-70.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.69 ₡1,657

-18.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.13 ₡507

127.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.66 ₡1,191

10.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.70 $11.70

$5.18 ₡2,321

125.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$19.88 ₡8,916

1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.63 ₡1,626

-36.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.32 $6.32

$1.12 ₡504

464.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.14 ₡958

48.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.57 ₡703

50.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.60 $40.60

$8.52 ₡3,823

376.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.52 ₡682

1.97%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

74.50%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.14%

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

$186 $186

$96.3 ₡43.2K

92.71%

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

$77.3 $77.3

$35.89 ₡16.1K

115.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

27.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.6 $87.6

$71.6 ₡32.1K

22.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 $15.24

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-56.34%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 $15.22

$7.89 ₡3,539

92.90%

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

$2,250 $2,250

$494 ₡221.6K

355.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.8K $36.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

210.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 $70.5

$53.9 ₡24.2K

30.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.6 $62.6

$55.4 ₡24.8K

12.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$77.9 ₡34.9K

35.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 $201

$79.6 ₡35.7K

152.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 $2,324

$788 ₡353.4K

194.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 $2,126

$794 ₡356.2K

167.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,431 $4,431

$3,939 ₡1.8M

12.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,527 $3,527

$1,419 ₡636.5K

148.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,539 $6,539

$1,224 ₡549.0K

434.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,693 $6,693

$864 ₡387.3K

675.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

8.62

-23.67%

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

Last update for Walnut Creek, 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

Walnut Creek, CA

$2.1K 57.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 62.6% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Walnut Creek, CA

$534 14.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 34.1% $182

Eating Out

Walnut Creek, CA

$349 9.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 39.3% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Walnut Creek, CA

$331 9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 43.9% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Walnut Creek, CA

$198 5.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 39.4% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Walnut Creek, CA

$118 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 26% $31

Getting Around

Walnut Creek, CA

$40 * 1.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 117% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,324 in Walnut Creek, 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 675% higher in Walnut Creek, 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 $92.0 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $534 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Walnut Creek, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

1 h ahead of Walnut Creek, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,166

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Walnut Creek, CA Nosara 4,780 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Walnut Creek, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,696 in Walnut Creek, CA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 101% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,545 per month in Walnut Creek, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Walnut Creek, CA and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Walnut Creek, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Walnut Creek, CA at $3,696. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Walnut Creek, 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 $3,696 in Walnut Creek, 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, Walnut Creek, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.