Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atenas and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,548 a month against $2,105 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Atenas and in San Jose

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 San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Atenas vs $2,105 in San Jose, rent included.

Atenas $1,548
San Jose $2,105

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Atenas vs $3,074 in San Jose, rent included.

Atenas $2,527
San Jose $3,074

A family of three spends $3,506 per month in Atenas vs $4,043 in San Jose, rent included.

Atenas $3,506
San Jose $4,043

Atenas is about 26% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Atenas and San Jose sit above the global median – Atenas by 14%, San Jose by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 ₡4,361

$12.43 ₡5,612

-22.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 ₡25.4K

$60.9 ₡27.5K

-7.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 ₡5,321

$11.72 ₡5,291

0.60%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₡1,727

$4.47 ₡2,020

-14.32%

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

$2.77 ₡1,249

$2.75 ₡1,242

0.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡875

$1.92 ₡867

1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ₡1,525

$3.26 ₡1,471

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 ₡2,005

$4.45 ₡2,009

-0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,079

$2.36 ₡1,063

1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,384

$3.09 ₡1,393

-0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,016

$2.40 ₡1,084

-6.25%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,571

$3.44 ₡1,554

1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,847

$10.73 ₡4,843

0.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 ₡4,310

$10.36 ₡4,676

-7.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 ₡4,701

$13.84 ₡6,246

-24.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 ₡2,039

$5.15 ₡2,324

-12.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.65 ₡746

-1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 ₡1,197

$4.67 ₡2,110

-43.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,107

$3.98 ₡1,799

-38.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 ₡1,719

$3.90 ₡1,762

-2.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ₡1,173

$3.65 ₡1,648

-28.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.08 ₡488

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₡1,405

$3.10 ₡1,399

0.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 ₡2,726

$6.08 ₡2,746

-0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₡8,497

$20.05 ₡9,051

-6.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$2.77 ₡1,252

-5.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$3.69 ₡1,667

-27.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 ₡998

$1.12 ₡503

97.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 ₡30.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,126

$2.49 ₡1,123

0.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.63 ₡736

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.68 ₡3,917

$8.47 ₡3,823

2.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡677

$1.57 ₡708

-4.46%

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

$33.7K ₡15.2M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-2.39%

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

$42.1K ₡19.0M

$42.3K ₡19.1M

-0.65%

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

$94.0 ₡42.4K

$93.2 ₡42.1K

0.86%

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

$35.77 ₡16.1K

$36.05 ₡16.3K

-0.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 ₡23.6K

$59.1 ₡26.7K

-11.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.83 ₡21.6K

$69.0 ₡31.2K

-30.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.06 ₡4,995

$24.80 ₡11.2K

-55.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ₡3,407

$7.85 ₡3,544

-3.82%

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

$975 ₡440.3K

$996 ₡449.6K

-2.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,667 ₡3.0M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-60.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.5K

$70.1 ₡31.7K

2.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.5K

$55.2 ₡24.9K

-1.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡57.1K

$130 ₡58.6K

-2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.8K

$131 ₡59.2K

-0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₡300.6K

$1,164 ₡525.5K

-42.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₡248.2K

$945 ₡426.6K

-41.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 ₡693.8K

$1,993 ₡899.8K

-22.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 ₡561.7K

$1,404 ₡633.7K

-11.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 ₡921.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,330 ₡600.6K

$1,011 ₡456.3K

31.64%

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 San Jose: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atenas

$550 35.5%

San Jose

$945 44.9% 71.9% $395

Groceries & Markets

Atenas

$358 23.2%

San Jose

$399 19% 11.4% $41

Eating Out

Atenas

$203 13.1%

San Jose

$232 11% 14.3% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atenas

$182 11.8%

San Jose

$188 9% 3.5% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Atenas

$172 11.1%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 0.9% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Atenas

$63 4.1%

San Jose

$85 4% 34.6% $22

Getting Around

Atenas

$19 * 1.2%

San Jose

$82 3.9% 326% $63

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 $1,164 in San Jose. 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 32% 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 $61 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $399 – making Atenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Atenas

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

18:48 6:48 PM

Same time as Atenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Atenas San Jose 33 km

From you

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 San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Atenas and $3,158 in San Jose. 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 $1,164 in San Jose.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Atenas and $61 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in San Jose, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,548 in Atenas and $2,105 in San Jose. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,548 in Atenas to $2,105 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.