Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Teresa and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Teresa: $1,546 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
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Santa Teresa Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Teresa and in Seattle, WA

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

A single person spends $1,546 per month in Santa Teresa vs $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Teresa $1,546
Seattle, WA $3,782

A couple spends around $2,318 per month in Santa Teresa vs $5,636 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Teresa $2,318
Seattle, WA $5,636

A family of three spends $3,090 per month in Santa Teresa vs $7,489 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Teresa $3,090
Seattle, WA $7,489

Santa Teresa is about 59% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Teresa and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Santa Teresa by 14%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 ₡4,519

$24.52 $24.52

-58.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₡19.5K

$98.2 $98.2

-55.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 ₡4,144

$14.79 $14.79

-37.53%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ₡1,673

$6.52 $6.52

-42.79%

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

$1.97 ₡883

$3.23 $3.23

-39.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₡745

$3.17 $3.17

-47.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 ₡1,344

$7.85 $7.85

-61.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 ₡2,055

$8.03 $8.03

-42.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ₡887

$1.21 $1.21

63.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 ₡1,301

$5.14 $5.14

-43.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ₡990

$6.05 $6.05

-63.47%

Eggs

$2.93 ₡1,312

$4.88 $4.88

-39.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 ₡4,446

$19.18 $19.18

-48.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 ₡4,173

$18.91 $18.91

-50.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 ₡6,116

$23.31 $23.31

-41.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 ₡2,068

$5.99 $5.99

-23.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₡681

$1.93 $1.93

-21.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 ₡1,898

$5.25 $5.25

-19.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,377

$6.57 $6.57

-53.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,437

$3.62 $3.62

-11.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 ₡1,180

$3.31 $3.31

-20.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡466

$2.78 $2.78

-62.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,258

$2.51 $2.51

11.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 ₡2,277

$12.18 $12.18

-58.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 ₡6,368

$14.83 $14.83

-4.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₡1,058

$4.22 $4.22

-44.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₡1,149

$5.77 $5.77

-55.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₡449

$2.95 $2.95

-66.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡810

$2.65 $2.65

-31.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 ₡837

$1.72 $1.72

8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 ₡3,589

$29.72 $29.72

-73.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₡652

$1.49 $1.49

-2.68%

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

$37.2K ₡16.7M

$35.9K $35.9K

3.55%

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

$32.8K ₡14.7M

$26.2K $26.2K

24.97%

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

$84.7 ₡38.0K

$302 $302

-71.96%

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

$26.18 ₡11.7K

$70.1 $70.1

-62.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.65 ₡22.3K

$85.3 $85.3

-41.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ₡22.7K

$77.8 $77.8

-34.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.98 ₡10.8K

$34.58 $34.58

-30.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ₡3,976

$17.84 $17.84

-50.28%

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

$573 ₡256.9K

$2,973 $2,973

-80.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ₡5.6M

$31.3K $31.3K

-59.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ₡28.2K

$76.6 $76.6

-17.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 ₡22.9K

$54.1 $54.1

-5.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡56.9K

$128 $128

-1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡47.9K

$164 $164

-34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 ₡314.1K

$2,445 $2,445

-71.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 ₡271.4K

$1,947 $1,947

-68.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 ₡655.5K

$4,744 $4,744

-69.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 ₡435.0K

$3,469 $3,469

-72.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

6.89

47.61%

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

Last update for Santa Teresa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Teresa

$605 39.1%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 222% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Teresa

$349 22.6%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 56.4% $197

Eating Out

Santa Teresa

$192 12.4%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 108% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Teresa

$160 10.4%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 185% $297

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Teresa

$156 10.1%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 21.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 66.1% $45

Getting Around

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 754% $114

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $700 in Santa Teresa versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. 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 $43.00 in Santa Teresa versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $546 – making Santa Teresa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

10:07 10:07 AM

1 h behind Santa Teresa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,099

737,015

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

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

USD to CRC in detail →

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Between locations

Santa Teresa Seattle, WA 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Teresa
Seattle, WA

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

Santa Teresa vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 145%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,319 per month in Santa Teresa and $5,673 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Teresa, 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 $43.00 in Santa Teresa and $98.0 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Seattle, WA, 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 Santa Teresa, where all-in costs run around $1,546, than in Seattle, WA at $3,782. In Santa Teresa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Teresa – 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 Santa Teresa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.