Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Ramon and Atenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,548 a month against $1,729 in San Ramon, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Ramon, Costa Rica
Atenas, Costa Rica
San Ramon
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,729
/mo nomad
Atenas
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,548
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,729 per month in San Ramon vs $1,548 in Atenas, rent included.

  • San Ramon $1,729
  • Atenas $1,548

A couple spends around $2,722 per month in San Ramon vs $2,527 in Atenas, rent included.

  • San Ramon $2,722
  • Atenas $2,527

A family of three spends $3,715 per month in San Ramon vs $3,506 in Atenas, rent included.

  • San Ramon $3,715
  • Atenas $3,506

San Ramon costs about 12% more than Atenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Ramon and Atenas sit above the global median – San Ramon by 27%, Atenas by 14%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Ramon
Atenas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.18 ₡5,479
$9.66 ₡4,344
26.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.9 ₡27.8K
$56.4 ₡25.3K
9.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.69 ₡5,255
$11.79 ₡5,300
-0.85%
Cappuccino
$3.82 ₡1,720
$3.83 ₡1,721
-0.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 ₡992
$2.77 ₡1,244
-20.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 ₡880
$1.94 ₡872
1.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.01 ₡1,352
$3.38 ₡1,519
-10.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.71 ₡2,118
$4.44 ₡1,997
6.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Ramon
Atenas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.39 ₡1,073
$2.39 ₡1,075
-
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 ₡1,366
$3.07 ₡1,379
-0.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,136
$2.25 ₡1,012
12.44%
Eggs
$5.07 ₡2,279
$3.48 ₡1,564
45.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.78 ₡4,850
$10.74 ₡4,828
0.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.31 ₡4,636
$9.55 ₡4,293
7.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.28 ₡6,421
$10.41 ₡4,683
37.18%
Apples (1kg)
$4.99 ₡2,245
$4.52 ₡2,031
10.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 ₡698
$1.62 ₡729
-4.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 ₡1,465
$2.65 ₡1,193
23.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.42 ₡1,540
$2.45 ₡1,103
39.59%
Potato (1kg)
$3.19 ₡1,437
$3.81 ₡1,712
-16.27%
Onion (1kg)
$3.22 ₡1,447
$2.60 ₡1,169
23.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 ₡545
$1.12 ₡503
8.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.74 ₡1,232
$3.11 ₡1,399
-11.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.56 ₡2,501
$6.04 ₡2,716
-7.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.31 ₡7,334
$18.82 ₡8,464
-13.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.56 ₡1,150
$2.63 ₡1,183
-2.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 ₡1,229
$2.67 ₡1,200
2.25%
🚌 Getting Around
San Ramon
Atenas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.30 ₡585
$2.21 ₡994
-41.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.45 ₡1,104
$2.50 ₡1,122
-2.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡706
$1.57 ₡706
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.87 ₡3,989
$8.68 ₡3,902
2.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡697
$1.50 ₡675
3.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$33.7K ₡15.2M
2.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.3K ₡18.6M
$42.1K ₡18.9M
-1.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Ramon
Atenas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$144 ₡64.9K
$94.0 ₡42.2K
53.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.11 ₡19.8K
$35.77 ₡16.1K
23.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$52.3 ₡23.5K
3.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Ramon
Atenas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.0 ₡26.5K
$47.83 ₡21.5K
23.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.06 ₡4,976
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ₡3,512
$7.55 ₡3,394
3.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Ramon
Atenas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$843 ₡379.3K
$975 ₡438.5K
-13.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.0K ₡7.7M
$6,667 ₡3.0M
155.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Ramon
Atenas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.5 ₡31.7K
$72.0 ₡32.4K
-2.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.3 ₡24.9K
$54.2 ₡24.4K
1.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$129 ₡57.9K
$126 ₡56.9K
1.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 ₡56.3K
$130 ₡58.6K
-3.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Ramon
Atenas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$816 ₡367.1K
$666 ₡299.5K
22.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$626 ₡281.4K
$550 ₡247.3K
13.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,903 ₡855.7K
$1,537 ₡691.1K
23.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,249 ₡561.7K
$1,244 ₡559.5K
0.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,145 ₡514.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,156 ₡519.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Ramon
Atenas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,330 ₡598.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
8.62
-

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

Last update for San Ramon: 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
San Ramon
$626
Atenas
$550 12.1% $76
Groceries & Markets
San Ramon
$380
Atenas
$358 5.8% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Ramon
$242
Atenas
$182 24.9% $60
Eating Out
San Ramon
$220
Atenas
$203 7.5% $16
Clothing & Footwear
San Ramon
$171
Atenas
$172 0.9% $1.5
Sport & Entertainment
San Ramon
$75
Atenas
$63 15.7% $12
Getting Around
San Ramon
$16 *
Atenas
$19 * 23.8% $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 $816 in San Ramon 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Ramon versus $56 in Atenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $358 – making Atenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 San Ramon
🇨🇷 Atenas
🕒 Local time
18:48 6:48 PM
18:48 6:48 PM
Same time as San Ramon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,000
7,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Ramon Atenas 16 km
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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 Ramon vs Atenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Atenas cheaper than San Ramon?
Yes – San Ramon is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,593 per month in San Ramon and $2,322 in Atenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Atenas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $666 there versus $816 in San Ramon.
Is eating out cheaper in San Ramon or in Atenas?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Ramon and $56 in Atenas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in San Ramon and in Atenas?
Groceries cost about 6% more in San Ramon, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in San Ramon or in Atenas?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,729 in San Ramon and $1,548 in Atenas. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is safer, San Ramon or Atenas?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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