Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atenas and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,552 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $40,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index
234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,552

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Atenas and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,552 per month in Atenas vs $4,906 in New York, NY, rent included.

Atenas $1,552
New York, NY $4,906

A couple spends around $2,551 per month in Atenas vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Atenas $2,551
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $3,549 per month in Atenas vs $9,641 in New York, NY, rent included.

Atenas $3,549
New York, NY $9,641

Atenas is about 68% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Atenas and New York, NY sit above the global median – Atenas by 15%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.97 ₡4,482

$26.93 $26.93

-62.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 ₡25.7K

$117 $117

-51.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 ₡5,209

$14.60 $14.60

-20.68%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ₡1,734

$6.54 $6.54

-40.98%

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

$2.69 ₡1,209

$3.86 $3.86

-30.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡872

$2.95 $2.95

-34.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 ₡1,514

$8.08 $8.08

-58.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,943

$9.85 $9.85

-56.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,087

$1.31 $1.31

84.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,427

$4.97 $4.97

-36.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,010

$7.70 $7.70

-70.78%

Eggs

$3.60 ₡1,618

$6.09 $6.09

-40.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,769

$19.55 $19.55

-45.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 ₡4,350

$17.59 $17.59

-45.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,732

$20.26 $20.26

-48.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 ₡1,927

$6.99 $6.99

-38.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$2.21 $2.21

-28.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 ₡1,215

$6.72 $6.72

-59.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,080

$7.12 $7.12

-66.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.66 ₡1,646

$4.61 $4.61

-20.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ₡1,162

$4.78 $4.78

-45.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡502

$2.87 $2.87

-60.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,461

$2.69 $2.69

20.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.93 ₡2,666

$19.14 $19.14

-69.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ₡8,363

$19.63 $19.63

-5.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,249

$3.32 $3.32

-16.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 ₡1,157

$4.19 $4.19

-38.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ₡1,000

$3.02 $3.02

-26.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 ₡969

$3.04 $3.04

-28.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 ₡803

$2.20 $2.20

-18.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 ₡3,485

$41.33 $41.33

-81.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ₡688

$1.13 $1.13

35.40%

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

$33.8K ₡15.2M

$34.5K $34.5K

-2.03%

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

$42.8K ₡19.2M

$25.8K $25.8K

65.42%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$232 $232

-59.91%

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

$35.36 ₡15.9K

$71.0 $71.0

-50.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 ₡23.3K

$67.7 $67.7

-23.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.68 ₡21.4K

$115 $115

-58.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.14 ₡5,008

$76.8 $76.8

-85.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ₡3,442

$22.41 $22.41

-65.86%

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

$993 ₡446.6K

$3,606 $3,606

-72.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,647 ₡3.0M

$68.7K $68.7K

-90.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ₡32.2K

$79.3 $79.3

-9.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.0K

$51.4 $51.4

8.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.7K

$121 $121

7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.4K

$140 $140

-7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 ₡293.1K

$4,555 $4,555

-85.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₡246.7K

$3,040 $3,040

-81.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 ₡686.6K

$9,742 $9,742

-84.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 ₡571.2K

$5,331 $5,331

-76.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,313 ₡590.4K

$5,096 $5,096

-74.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.89

25.11%

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

Last update for Atenas: November 1, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atenas

$549 35.4%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 454% $2.5K

Groceries & Markets

Atenas

$361 23.2%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 57.3% $207

Eating Out

Atenas

$205 13.2%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 108% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atenas

$180 11.6%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 106% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Atenas

$174 11.2%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 1.2% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Atenas

$63 4.1%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 154% $97

Getting Around

Atenas

$20 * 1.3%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 728% $145

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $652 in Atenas versus $4,555 in New York, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in New York, NY are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Atenas versus $117 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $567 – making Atenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Atenas

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

18:52 6:52 PM

1 h ahead of Atenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Atenas New York, NY 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Atenas
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 216%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,328 per month in Atenas and $7,358 in New York, NY. 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 $652 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Atenas and $117 in New York, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,552 in Atenas and $4,906 in New York, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Atenas. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.