Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atenas and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,548 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mexico City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Atenas and in Mexico City

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 Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Atenas vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Atenas $1,548
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Atenas vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Atenas $2,527
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $3,506 per month in Atenas vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Atenas $3,506
Mexico City $3,490

Atenas is about 4% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Atenas and Mexico City sit above the global median – Atenas by 14%, Mexico City by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 ₡4,359

$10.62 MX$198

-9.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 ₡25.4K

$48.35 MX$901

16.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 ₡5,318

$10.35 MX$193

13.91%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₡1,726

$3.69 MX$68.8

3.79%

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

$2.77 ₡1,248

$1.67 MX$31.07

65.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡875

$1.27 MX$23.59

52.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ₡1,524

$3.19 MX$59.5

5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 ₡2,004

$5.31 MX$98.9

-16.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,079

$1.72 MX$32.15

38.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,383

$3.04 MX$56.7

0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,015

$1.94 MX$36.19

15.98%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,570

$2.89 MX$53.8

20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,845

$10.97 MX$205

-2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 ₡4,308

$9.25 MX$172

3.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 ₡4,699

$15.13 MX$282

-31.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 ₡2,038

$3.05 MX$56.8

48.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.94 MX$36.19

-16.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 ₡1,197

$2.03 MX$37.75

30.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,107

$2.31 MX$43.15

6.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 ₡1,718

$2.04 MX$37.94

86.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ₡1,173

$1.80 MX$33.55

44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.48 MX$27.58

-24.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₡1,404

$1.27 MX$23.63

144.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 ₡2,725

$5.30 MX$98.9

13.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₡8,493

$16.10 MX$300

16.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,187

$1.98 MX$36.97

32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$4.25 MX$79.3

-37.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 ₡997

$0.31 MX$5.69

612.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,126

$1.84 MX$34.25

35.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡709

$0.53 MX$9.94

196.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.68 ₡3,916

$5.30 MX$98.7

63.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡677

$1.51 MX$28.16

-0.66%

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

$33.7K ₡15.2M

$21.8K MX$405.5K

55.13%

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

$42.1K ₡19.0M

$24.0K MX$447.1K

75.35%

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

$94.0 ₡42.4K

$63.0 MX$1,174

49.17%

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

$35.77 ₡16.1K

$27.39 MX$511

30.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 ₡23.6K

$35.67 MX$665

46.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.83 ₡21.6K

$58.9 MX$1,099

-18.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.06 ₡4,993

$23.64 MX$441

-53.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ₡3,405

$6.40 MX$119

17.97%

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

$975 ₡440.1K

$432 MX$8,045

125.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,667 ₡3.0M

$11.4K MX$212.9K

-41.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.5K

$68.2 MX$1,272

5.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.5K

$53.1 MX$990

2.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡57.1K

$108 MX$2,009

17.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.8K

$117 MX$2,186

11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₡300.5K

$1,113 MX$20.8K

-40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₡248.1K

$710 MX$13.2K

-22.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 ₡693.5K

$2,588 MX$48.2K

-40.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 ₡561.4K

$1,406 MX$26.2K

-11.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,330 ₡600.4K

$946 MX$17.6K

40.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.35

-24.05%

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

Last update for Atenas: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atenas

$550 35.5%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 29.2% $161

Groceries & Markets

Atenas

$358 23.2%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 10.8% $39

Eating Out

Atenas

$203 13.1%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 2.2% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atenas

$182 11.8%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 30.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Atenas

$172 11.1%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 9.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Atenas

$63 4.1%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 14% $8.8

Getting Around

Atenas

$19 * 1.2%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 32.7% $6.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Atenas versus $1,113 in Mexico City. 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 41% higher in Atenas, 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 $56 in Atenas versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Atenas

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

Same time as Atenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Atenas Mexico City 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Atenas
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Atenas and $2,412 in Mexico City. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $666 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Atenas and $48 in Mexico City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Mexico City – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,548 in Atenas and $1,608 in Mexico City. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,548 in Atenas to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.