Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ponta Delgada and Atenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,548 a month against $1,660 in Ponta Delgada, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ponta Delgada outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Ponta Delgada
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Ponta Delgada Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index

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Ponta Delgada

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,660

/mo nomad

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,660 per month in Ponta Delgada vs $1,548 in Atenas, rent included.

Ponta Delgada $1,660
Atenas $1,548

A couple spends around $2,363 per month in Ponta Delgada vs $2,527 in Atenas, rent included.

Ponta Delgada $2,363
Atenas $2,527

A family of three spends $3,067 per month in Ponta Delgada vs $3,506 in Atenas, rent included.

Ponta Delgada $3,067
Atenas $3,506

Ponta Delgada costs about 7% more than Atenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ponta Delgada and Atenas sit above the global median – Ponta Delgada by 22%, Atenas by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.61 €12.23

$9.66 ₡4,359

40.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.83 €40.28

$56.4 ₡25.4K

-20.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 €9.64

$11.79 ₡5,318

-9.08%

Cappuccino

$1.84 €1.65

$3.83 ₡1,726

-51.96%

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

$1.83 €1.65

$2.77 ₡1,248

-33.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.66

$1.94 ₡875

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 €2.83

$3.38 ₡1,524

-6.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 €3.24

$4.44 ₡2,004

-18.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 €0.84

$2.39 ₡1,079

-61.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.42

$3.07 ₡1,383

-48.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.61

$2.25 ₡1,015

-20.44%

Eggs

$3.09 €2.77

$3.48 ₡1,570

-11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €15.08

$10.74 ₡4,845

56.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 €10.20

$9.55 ₡4,308

18.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 €15.34

$10.41 ₡4,699

63.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$4.52 ₡2,038

-48.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.49

$1.62 ₡731

2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.65 ₡1,197

-18.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 €2.78

$2.45 ₡1,107

26.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 €1.39

$3.81 ₡1,718

-59.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.45

$2.60 ₡1,173

-37.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 €2.52

$1.12 ₡505

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$3.11 ₡1,404

-65.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 €4.60

$6.04 ₡2,725

-15.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €5.20

$18.82 ₡8,493

-69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.12

$2.63 ₡1,187

-10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.81

$2.67 ₡1,204

17.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.49

$2.21 ₡997

-24.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 €50.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 €4.95

$2.50 ₡1,126

120.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.57 ₡709

-9.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €5.15

$8.68 ₡3,916

-33.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.78

$1.50 ₡677

32.00%

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

$33.7K €30.3K

$33.7K ₡15.2M

-0.17%

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

$39.1K €35.2K

$42.1K ₡19.0M

-6.95%

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

$143 €128

$94.0 ₡42.4K

52.13%

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

$18.68 €16.79

$35.77 ₡16.1K

-47.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.32 €38.92

$52.3 ₡23.6K

-17.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.39 €30.00

$47.83 ₡21.6K

-30.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.50 €17.52

$11.06 ₡4,993

76.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.24 €8.30

$7.55 ₡3,405

22.38%

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

$285 €256

$975 ₡440.1K

-70.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,594 €5,925

$6,667 ₡3.0M

-1.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.31 €42.51

$72.0 ₡32.5K

-34.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 €30.47

$54.2 ₡24.5K

-37.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.9 €59.3

$126 ₡57.1K

-47.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €122

$130 ₡58.8K

4.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 €1,035

$666 ₡300.5K

72.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 €619

$550 ₡248.1K

25.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 €1,259

$1,537 ₡693.5K

-8.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 €837

$1,244 ₡561.4K

-25.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,033 €3,624

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,977 €2,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,387 €1,246

$1,330 ₡600.4K

4.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

8.62

-56.96%

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

Last update for Ponta Delgada: October 24, 2026

Last update for Atenas: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ponta Delgada

$689 41.5%

Atenas

$550 35.5% 20.2% $139

Groceries & Markets

Ponta Delgada

$310 18.7%

Atenas

$358 23.2% 15.5% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ponta Delgada

$205 12.4%

Atenas

$182 11.8% 11.2% $23

Eating Out

Ponta Delgada

$201 12.1%

Atenas

$203 13.1% 1.2% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ponta Delgada

$128 7.7%

Atenas

$172 11.1% 35.2% $45

Getting Around

Ponta Delgada

$75 4.5%

Atenas

$19 * 1.2% 74.5% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Ponta Delgada

$52 3.1%

Atenas

$63 4.1% 21.3% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,152 in Ponta Delgada 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 4% higher in Ponta Delgada, 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 $45 in Ponta Delgada versus $56 in Atenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $358 – making Ponta Delgada the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Ponta Delgada

🇨🇷 Atenas

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

03:14 3:14 AM

5 h behind Ponta Delgada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,233

7,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ponta Delgada Atenas 6,590 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ponta Delgada
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

Ponta Delgada vs Atenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ponta Delgada is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,489 per month in Ponta Delgada 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 $1,152 in Ponta Delgada.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Ponta Delgada and $56 in Atenas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Ponta Delgada – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,660 in Ponta Delgada and $1,548 in Atenas. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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, Ponta Delgada makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.