Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atenas and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,548 a month against $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index

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Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Atenas and in Playa del Coco

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 Playa del Coco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Atenas vs $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Atenas $1,548
Playa del Coco $1,676

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Atenas vs $2,700 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Atenas $2,527
Playa del Coco $2,700

A family of three spends $3,506 per month in Atenas vs $3,724 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Atenas $3,506
Playa del Coco $3,724

Atenas is about 8% cheaper than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Atenas and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – Atenas by 14%, Playa del Coco by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 ₡4,361

$18.46 ₡8,332

-47.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 ₡25.4K

$58.1 ₡26.2K

-3.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 ₡5,321

$13.36 ₡6,032

-11.75%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₡1,727

$4.35 ₡1,966

-11.95%

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

$2.77 ₡1,249

$2.65 ₡1,197

4.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡875

$1.60 ₡724

21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ₡1,525

$3.58 ₡1,614

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 ₡2,005

$6.15 ₡2,776

-27.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,079

$2.30 ₡1,040

3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,384

$2.79 ₡1,260

10.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,016

$2.44 ₡1,103

-7.79%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,571

$3.56 ₡1,606

-2.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,847

$10.56 ₡4,766

1.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 ₡4,310

$10.58 ₡4,778

-9.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 ₡4,701

$16.10 ₡7,267

-35.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 ₡2,039

$5.57 ₡2,517

-18.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.77 ₡798

-8.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 ₡1,197

$3.84 ₡1,732

-30.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,107

$3.58 ₡1,615

-31.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 ₡1,719

$3.43 ₡1,549

11.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ₡1,173

$3.07 ₡1,387

-15.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.20 ₡543

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₡1,405

$2.67 ₡1,207

16.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 ₡2,726

$5.81 ₡2,624

3.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₡8,497

$16.66 ₡7,521

12.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$2.51 ₡1,132

4.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$2.65 ₡1,195

0.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 ₡998

$1.33 ₡600

66.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,126

$2.46 ₡1,110

1.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.55 ₡701

1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.68 ₡3,917

$9.30 ₡4,200

-6.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡677

$1.58 ₡714

-5.06%

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

$33.7K ₡15.2M

$34.3K ₡15.5M

-1.69%

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

$42.1K ₡19.0M

$41.0K ₡18.5M

2.66%

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

$94.0 ₡42.4K

$93.6 ₡42.3K

0.38%

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

$35.77 ₡16.1K

$29.79 ₡13.4K

20.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 ₡23.6K

$58.3 ₡26.3K

-10.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.83 ₡21.6K

$71.1 ₡32.1K

-32.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.06 ₡4,995

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ₡3,407

$7.18 ₡3,241

5.15%

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

$975 ₡440.3K

$756 ₡341.1K

29.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,667 ₡3.0M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-60.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.5K

$82.1 ₡37.1K

-12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.5K

$55.6 ₡25.1K

-2.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡57.1K

$110 ₡49.6K

14.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.8K

$116 ₡52.5K

11.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₡300.6K

$882 ₡398.0K

-24.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₡248.2K

$559 ₡252.2K

-1.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 ₡693.8K

$1,979 ₡893.5K

-22.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 ₡561.7K

$1,193 ₡538.4K

4.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,330 ₡600.6K

$772 ₡348.4K

72.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Atenas: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atenas

$550 35.5%

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3% 1.6% $8.8

Groceries & Markets

Atenas

$358 23.2%

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9% 7.1% $26

Eating Out

Atenas

$203 13.1%

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1% 41.4% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atenas

$182 11.8%

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Atenas

$172 11.1%

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8% 4.9% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Atenas

$63 4.1%

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1% 35.8% $23

Getting Around

Atenas

$19 * 1.2%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 19% $3.7

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 $882 in Playa del Coco. 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 72% 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 $58 in Playa del Coco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $384 – making Atenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Atenas

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

22:26 10:26 PM

Same time as Atenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Atenas Playa del Coco 160 km

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Atenas
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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 Playa del Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Coco is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Atenas and $2,514 in Playa del Coco. 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 $882 in Playa del Coco.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Atenas and $58 in Playa del Coco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Playa del Coco, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,548 in Atenas and $1,676 in Playa del Coco. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Coco has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,548 in Atenas to $1,676 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.