Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Atenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,546 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Atenas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Atenas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,663 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,546 in Atenas, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,663
Atenas $1,546

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,543 in Atenas, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,133
Atenas $2,543

A family of three spends $5,603 per month in Austin, TX vs $3,540 in Atenas, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,603
Atenas $3,540

Austin, TX costs about 72% more than Atenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Austin, TX and Atenas sit above the global median – Austin, TX by 97%, Atenas by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.58 ₡4,298

116.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$56.8 ₡25.5K

48.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.85 ₡5,314

3.97%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.82 ₡1,711

47.38%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.64 ₡1,186

40.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.90 ₡852

31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.25 ₡1,459

147.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.38 ₡1,966

105.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.39 ₡1,070

-53.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.12 ₡1,401

20.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.13 ₡957

53.05%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.41 ₡1,528

22.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.71 ₡4,802

20.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.87 ₡4,426

43.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.36 ₡4,646

56.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.28 ₡1,921

1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.57 ₡704

-7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.56 ₡1,148

76.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.39 ₡1,071

81.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.70 ₡1,660

-30.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.69 ₡1,205

-12.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.11 ₡500

60.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.09 ₡1,387

-28.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.00 ₡2,690

64.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.30 ₡8,207

-17.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.68 ₡1,200

8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.69 ₡1,208

28.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.23 ₡1,001

-33.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.38 ₡1,067

14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.62 ₡725

2.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.83 ₡3,960

299.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.56 ₡701

-39.10%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$22.3K ₡10.0M

61.55%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.6K ₡15.5M

-21.79%

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

$229 $229

$95.7 ₡42.9K

139.35%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$35.36 ₡15.9K

67.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$51.0 ₡22.8K

37.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$48.47 ₡21.7K

18.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.78 ₡4,835

51.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.90 ₡3,542

80.76%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$994 ₡445.7K

51.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,652 ₡3.0M

222.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$71.0 ₡31.8K

-25.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$55.1 ₡24.7K

-20.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$128 ₡57.2K

-33.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$129 ₡58.0K

-20.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$648 ₡290.6K

194.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$550 ₡246.8K

131.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,521 ₡682.3K

140.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,281 ₡574.3K

98.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,322 ₡592.9K

287.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.62

-21.23%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Atenas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Atenas

$550 35.6% 56.8% $724

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Atenas

$356 23.1% 12% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Atenas

$182 11.8% 49.2% $176

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Atenas

$201 13% 43.1% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Atenas

$172 11.2% 34.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Atenas

$64 4.2% 25.1% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Atenas

$19 * 1.3% 67% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $648 in Atenas. 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 287% higher in Austin, TX, 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $57.0 in Atenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $356 – making Atenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇷 Atenas

🕒 Local time

00:41 12:41 AM

23:41 11:41 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Atenas 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Atenas

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

Austin, TX vs Atenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Austin, TX is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,995 per month in Austin, TX and $2,319 in Atenas. 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX and $57.0 in Atenas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Austin, TX, 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 Austin, TX at $2,663. In Atenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX 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, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.