Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atenas and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,546 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 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
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Atenas and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,546 per month in Atenas vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Atenas $1,546
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $2,543 per month in Atenas vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Atenas $2,543
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $3,540 per month in Atenas vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Atenas $3,540
Seattle, WA $7,603

Atenas is about 59% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Atenas and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Atenas by 15%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 ₡4,298

$25.32 $25.32

-62.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 ₡25.5K

$101 $101

-44.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 ₡5,314

$14.85 $14.85

-20.20%

Cappuccino

$3.82 ₡1,711

$6.59 $6.59

-42.03%

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

$2.64 ₡1,186

$3.22 $3.22

-18.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡852

$3.14 $3.14

-39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 ₡1,459

$8.18 $8.18

-60.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 ₡1,966

$8.03 $8.03

-45.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,070

$1.21 $1.21

97.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,401

$5.12 $5.12

-39.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ₡957

$6.30 $6.30

-66.19%

Eggs

$3.41 ₡1,528

$4.90 $4.90

-30.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 ₡4,802

$19.10 $19.10

-43.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 ₡4,426

$18.50 $18.50

-46.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 ₡4,646

$23.03 $23.03

-55.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 ₡1,921

$5.81 $5.81

-26.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.95 $1.95

-19.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 ₡1,148

$5.29 $5.29

-51.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,071

$6.48 $6.48

-63.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 ₡1,660

$3.57 $3.57

3.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₡1,205

$3.15 $3.15

-14.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₡500

$2.85 $2.85

-61.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,387

$2.42 $2.42

27.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,690

$12.75 $12.75

-52.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.30 ₡8,207

$14.99 $14.99

22.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,200

$4.17 $4.17

-35.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₡1,208

$5.99 $5.99

-55.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ₡1,001

$3.04 $3.04

-26.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₡1,067

$2.55 $2.55

-6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₡725

$1.64 $1.64

-1.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.83 ₡3,960

$29.58 $29.58

-70.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.42 $1.42

9.86%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$35.7K $35.7K

-37.58%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$25.6K $25.6K

35.43%

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

$95.7 ₡42.9K

$299 $299

-68.00%

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

$35.36 ₡15.9K

$70.8 $70.8

-50.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 ₡22.8K

$88.3 $88.3

-42.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 ₡21.7K

$79.5 $79.5

-39.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.78 ₡4,835

$35.37 $35.37

-69.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ₡3,542

$17.12 $17.12

-53.86%

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

$994 ₡445.7K

$3,013 $3,013

-67.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,652 ₡3.0M

$31.6K $31.6K

-78.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 ₡31.8K

$77.2 $77.2

-8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 ₡24.7K

$55.1 $55.1

-0.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.2K

$126 $126

1.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₡58.0K

$163 $163

-20.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 ₡290.6K

$2,464 $2,464

-73.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₡246.8K

$1,956 $1,956

-71.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 ₡682.3K

$4,711 $4,711

-67.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 ₡574.3K

$3,550 $3,550

-63.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,322 ₡592.9K

$6,286 $6,286

-78.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.85

25.84%

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

Last update for Atenas: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atenas

$550 35.6%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 255% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Atenas

$356 23.1%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 52% $185

Eating Out

Atenas

$201 13%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 103% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atenas

$182 11.8%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 152% $276

Clothing & Footwear

Atenas

$172 11.2%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 9.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Atenas

$64 4.2%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 77% $49

Getting Around

Atenas

$19 * 1.3%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 586% $114

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 $2,464 in Seattle, WA. 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 376% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $542 – making Atenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Atenas

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

22:33 10:33 PM

21:33 9:33 PM

1 h behind Atenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

737,015

💱 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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Atenas Seattle, WA 5,490 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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Atenas
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 146%, 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 $5,701 in Seattle, WA. 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 $101 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Seattle, WA, 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 Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Atenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA 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, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.