Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atenas and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,546 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Atenas and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Atenas and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,546 per month in Atenas vs $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Atenas $1,546
Austin, TX $2,663

A couple spends around $2,543 per month in Atenas vs $4,133 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Atenas $2,543
Austin, TX $4,133

A family of three spends $3,540 per month in Atenas vs $5,603 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Atenas $3,540
Austin, TX $5,603

Atenas is about 42% cheaper than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Atenas and Austin, TX sit above the global median – Atenas by 15%, Austin, TX by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 ₡4,298

$20.77 $20.77

-53.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 ₡25.5K

$84.6 $84.6

-32.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 ₡5,314

$12.32 $12.32

-3.81%

Cappuccino

$3.82 ₡1,711

$5.63 $5.63

-32.15%

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

$2.64 ₡1,186

$3.72 $3.72

-29.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡852

$2.50 $2.50

-24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 ₡1,459

$8.05 $8.05

-59.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 ₡1,966

$9.01 $9.01

-51.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,070

$1.12 $1.12

113.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,401

$3.75 $3.75

-16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ₡957

$3.26 $3.26

-34.66%

Eggs

$3.41 ₡1,528

$4.17 $4.17

-18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 ₡4,802

$12.90 $12.90

-16.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 ₡4,426

$14.16 $14.16

-30.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 ₡4,646

$16.22 $16.22

-36.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 ₡1,921

$4.33 $4.33

-1.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.46 $1.46

7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 ₡1,148

$4.51 $4.51

-43.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,071

$4.34 $4.34

-44.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 ₡1,660

$2.58 $2.58

43.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₡1,205

$2.35 $2.35

14.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₡500

$1.78 $1.78

-37.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,387

$2.22 $2.22

39.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,690

$9.88 $9.88

-39.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.30 ₡8,207

$15.08 $15.08

21.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,200

$2.92 $2.92

-8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₡1,208

$3.46 $3.46

-22.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ₡1,001

$1.49 $1.49

49.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₡1,067

$2.73 $2.73

-12.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₡725

$1.66 $1.66

-2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.83 ₡3,960

$35.30 $35.30

-74.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.95 $0.95

64.21%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$36.0K $36.0K

-38.10%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$27.1K $27.1K

27.86%

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

$95.7 ₡42.9K

$229 $229

-58.22%

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

$35.36 ₡15.9K

$59.4 $59.4

-40.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 ₡22.8K

$69.9 $69.9

-27.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 ₡21.7K

$57.2 $57.2

-15.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.78 ₡4,835

$16.33 $16.33

-33.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ₡3,542

$14.28 $14.28

-44.68%

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

$994 ₡445.7K

$1,506 $1,506

-34.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,652 ₡3.0M

$21.5K $21.5K

-69.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 ₡31.8K

$52.8 $52.8

34.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 ₡24.7K

$43.82 $43.82

25.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.2K

$84.8 $84.8

50.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₡58.0K

$103 $103

25.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 ₡290.6K

$1,907 $1,907

-66.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₡246.8K

$1,274 $1,274

-56.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 ₡682.3K

$3,664 $3,664

-58.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 ₡574.3K

$2,538 $2,538

-49.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,322 ₡592.9K

$5,121 $5,121

-74.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for Atenas: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atenas

$550 35.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 132% $724

Groceries & Markets

Atenas

$356 23.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 13.6% $48

Eating Out

Atenas

$201 13%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 75.9% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atenas

$182 11.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 96.9% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Atenas

$172 11.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 25.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Atenas

$64 4.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 33.5% $22

Getting Around

Atenas

$19 * 1.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 203% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $648 in Atenas versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. 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 287% higher in Austin, TX, 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 $57.0 in Atenas versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $405 – making Atenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Atenas

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

03:35 3:35 AM

1 h ahead of Atenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

974,447

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

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

USD to CRC in detail →

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Between locations

Atenas Austin, TX 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Atenas
Austin, TX

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

Atenas vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Austin, TX is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,319 per month in Atenas and $3,995 in Austin, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Atenas, 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 $57.0 in Atenas and $85.0 in Austin, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Austin, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Atenas, where all-in costs run around $1,546, than in Austin, TX at $2,663. In Atenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Atenas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Atenas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.