Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Atenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,546 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,546 in Atenas, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Atenas $1,546

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,543 in Atenas, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Atenas $2,543

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,540 in Atenas, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Atenas $3,540

Seattle, WA costs about 146% more than Atenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seattle, WA and Atenas sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Atenas by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$9.58 ₡4,298

164.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$56.8 ₡25.5K

78.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.85 ₡5,314

25.32%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$3.82 ₡1,711

72.51%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.64 ₡1,186

21.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.90 ₡852

65.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.25 ₡1,459

151.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.38 ₡1,966

83.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.39 ₡1,070

-49.37%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.12 ₡1,401

64.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.13 ₡957

195.77%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.41 ₡1,528

43.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$10.71 ₡4,802

78.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$9.87 ₡4,426

87.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$10.36 ₡4,646

122.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.28 ₡1,921

35.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.57 ₡704

24.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.56 ₡1,148

106.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$2.39 ₡1,071

171.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.70 ₡1,660

-3.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.69 ₡1,205

17.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.11 ₡500

156.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.09 ₡1,387

-21.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$6.00 ₡2,690

112.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$18.30 ₡8,207

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.68 ₡1,200

55.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.69 ₡1,208

122.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.23 ₡1,001

36.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.38 ₡1,067

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.62 ₡725

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$8.83 ₡3,960

234.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.56 ₡701

-8.97%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$22.3K ₡10.0M

60.21%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.6K ₡15.5M

-26.16%

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

$299 $299

$95.7 ₡42.9K

212.54%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$35.36 ₡15.9K

100.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$51.0 ₡22.8K

73.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$48.47 ₡21.7K

64.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$10.78 ₡4,835

228.11%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$7.90 ₡3,542

116.71%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$994 ₡445.7K

203.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$6,652 ₡3.0M

375.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$71.0 ₡31.8K

8.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$55.1 ₡24.7K

0.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$128 ₡57.2K

-1.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$129 ₡58.0K

25.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$648 ₡290.6K

280.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$550 ₡246.8K

255.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,521 ₡682.3K

209.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,281 ₡574.3K

177.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$1,322 ₡592.9K

375.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

8.62

-20.53%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Atenas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Atenas

$550 35.6% 71.9% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Atenas

$356 23.1% 34.2% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Atenas

$182 11.8% 60.3% $276

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Atenas

$201 13% 50.8% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Atenas

$172 11.2% 8.9% $17

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Atenas

$19 * 1.3% 85.4% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Atenas

$64 4.2% 43.5% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $648 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 376% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $57.0 in Atenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $356 – making Atenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇷 Atenas

🕒 Local time

01:40 1:40 AM

02:40 2:40 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

7,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Seattle, WA Atenas 5,490 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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

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

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 146%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,319 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $57.0 in Atenas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% 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 Atenas, where all-in costs run around $1,546, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Atenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Atenas – 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 Atenas. 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.