Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Atenas

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.

84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Coco 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 Playa del Coco and in Atenas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.46 ₡8,332

$9.66 ₡4,361

91.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 ₡26.2K

$56.4 ₡25.4K

3.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 ₡6,032

$11.79 ₡5,321

13.32%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,966

$3.83 ₡1,727

13.58%

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

$2.65 ₡1,197

$2.77 ₡1,249

-4.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₡724

$1.94 ₡875

-17.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₡1,614

$3.38 ₡1,525

5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₡2,776

$4.44 ₡2,005

38.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 ₡1,040

$2.39 ₡1,079

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 ₡1,260

$3.07 ₡1,384

-9.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,103

$2.25 ₡1,016

8.44%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,606

$3.48 ₡1,571

2.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,766

$10.74 ₡4,847

-1.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,778

$9.55 ₡4,310

10.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 ₡7,267

$10.41 ₡4,701

54.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 ₡2,517

$4.52 ₡2,039

23.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₡798

$1.62 ₡731

9.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,732

$2.65 ₡1,197

44.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 ₡1,615

$2.45 ₡1,107

46.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,549

$3.81 ₡1,719

-9.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,387

$2.60 ₡1,173

18.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₡543

$1.12 ₡505

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,207

$3.11 ₡1,405

-14.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 ₡2,624

$6.04 ₡2,726

-3.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.66 ₡7,521

$18.82 ₡8,497

-11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₡1,132

$2.63 ₡1,188

-4.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,195

$2.67 ₡1,204

-0.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡600

$2.21 ₡998

-39.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.50 ₡1,126

-1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.57 ₡709

-1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.30 ₡4,200

$8.68 ₡3,917

7.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡714

$1.50 ₡677

5.33%

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

$34.3K ₡15.5M

$33.7K ₡15.2M

1.72%

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

$41.0K ₡18.5M

$42.1K ₡19.0M

-2.59%

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

$93.6 ₡42.3K

$94.0 ₡42.4K

-0.38%

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

$29.79 ₡13.4K

$35.77 ₡16.1K

-16.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 ₡26.3K

$52.3 ₡23.6K

11.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ₡32.1K

$47.83 ₡21.6K

48.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.06 ₡4,995

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 ₡3,241

$7.55 ₡3,407

-4.90%

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

$756 ₡341.1K

$975 ₡440.3K

-22.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$6,667 ₡3.0M

154.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 ₡37.1K

$72.0 ₡32.5K

14.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 ₡25.1K

$54.2 ₡24.5K

2.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 ₡49.6K

$126 ₡57.1K

-13.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₡52.5K

$130 ₡58.8K

-10.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 ₡398.0K

$666 ₡300.6K

32.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ₡252.2K

$550 ₡248.2K

1.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 ₡893.5K

$1,537 ₡693.8K

28.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 ₡538.4K

$1,244 ₡561.7K

-4.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$772 ₡348.4K

$1,330 ₡600.6K

-41.99%

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 Playa del Coco: October 25, 2026

Last update for Atenas: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3%

Atenas

$550 35.5% 1.6% $8.8

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9%

Atenas

$358 23.2% 6.7% $26

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1%

Atenas

$203 13.1% 29.3% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8%

Atenas

$182 11.8% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8%

Atenas

$172 11.1% 5.2% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1%

Atenas

$63 4.1% 26.3% $23

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Atenas

$19 * 1.2% 23.5% $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 $882 in Playa del Coco versus $666 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 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 $58 in Playa del Coco versus $56 in Atenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $358 – making Atenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Atenas

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 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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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

Playa del Coco vs Atenas: 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 $2,514 per month in Playa del Coco and $2,322 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $666 there versus $882 in Playa del Coco.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Playa del Coco and $56 in Atenas. 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 $1,676 in Playa del Coco and $1,548 in Atenas. 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.