Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Atenas

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.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,105

/mo nomad

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

San Jose $2,105
Atenas $1,548

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

San Jose $3,074
Atenas $2,527

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

San Jose $4,043
Atenas $3,506

San Jose costs about 36% more than Atenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.43 ₡5,590

$9.66 ₡4,344

28.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.4K

$56.4 ₡25.3K

7.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 ₡5,270

$11.79 ₡5,300

-0.59%

Cappuccino

$4.47 ₡2,012

$3.83 ₡1,721

16.71%

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

$2.75 ₡1,237

$2.77 ₡1,244

-0.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡864

$1.94 ₡872

-1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,465

$3.38 ₡1,519

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₡2,002

$4.44 ₡1,997

0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,059

$2.39 ₡1,075

-1.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,388

$3.07 ₡1,379

0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,079

$2.25 ₡1,012

6.67%

Eggs

$3.44 ₡1,548

$3.48 ₡1,564

-1.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 ₡4,824

$10.74 ₡4,828

-0.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₡4,658

$9.55 ₡4,293

8.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 ₡6,222

$10.41 ₡4,683

32.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 ₡2,315

$4.52 ₡2,031

13.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡743

$1.62 ₡729

1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 ₡2,102

$2.65 ₡1,193

76.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 ₡1,792

$2.45 ₡1,103

62.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,755

$3.81 ₡1,712

2.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 ₡1,642

$2.60 ₡1,169

40.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.12 ₡503

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₡1,393

$3.11 ₡1,399

-0.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 ₡2,736

$6.04 ₡2,716

0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.05 ₡9,016

$18.82 ₡8,464

6.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,248

$2.63 ₡1,183

5.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ₡1,660

$2.67 ₡1,200

38.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡501

$2.21 ₡994

-49.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,119

$2.50 ₡1,122

-0.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.57 ₡706

3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 ₡3,808

$8.68 ₡3,902

-2.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.50 ₡675

4.67%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$33.7K ₡15.2M

2.45%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$42.1K ₡18.9M

0.65%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$94.0 ₡42.2K

-0.85%

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

$36.05 ₡16.2K

$35.77 ₡16.1K

0.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$52.3 ₡23.5K

13.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₡31.0K

$47.83 ₡21.5K

44.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 ₡11.2K

$11.06 ₡4,976

124.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ₡3,531

$7.55 ₡3,394

3.97%

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

$996 ₡447.9K

$975 ₡438.5K

2.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$6,667 ₡3.0M

155.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.5K

$72.0 ₡32.4K

-2.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 ₡24.8K

$54.2 ₡24.4K

1.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.3K

$126 ₡56.9K

2.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡59.0K

$130 ₡58.6K

0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 ₡523.4K

$666 ₡299.5K

74.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 ₡424.9K

$550 ₡247.3K

71.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 ₡896.4K

$1,537 ₡691.1K

29.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 ₡631.3K

$1,244 ₡559.5K

12.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 ₡917.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,011 ₡454.5K

$1,330 ₡598.3K

-24.03%

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 San Jose: October 26, 2026

Last update for Atenas: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$945 44.9%

Atenas

$550 35.5% 41.8% $395

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 19%

Atenas

$358 23.2% 10.3% $41

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Atenas

$203 13.1% 12.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9%

Atenas

$182 11.8% 3.4% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Atenas

$172 11.1% 0.9% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$85 4%

Atenas

$63 4.1% 25.7% $22

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 3.9%

Atenas

$19 * 1.2% 76.5% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,164 in San Jose 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 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 $61 in San Jose versus $56 in Atenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $358 – making Atenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Atenas

🕒 Local time

18:36 6:36 PM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

7,000

💱 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

On the map

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San Jose Atenas 33 km

From you

San Jose
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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

San Jose vs Atenas: 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 $3,158 per month in San Jose 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 $1,164 in San Jose.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in San Jose and $56 in Atenas. 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 $2,105 in San Jose and $1,548 in Atenas. 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.