Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarindo and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarindo and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,823 in Tamarindo versus $1,737 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,561 in Tamarindo versus $2,621 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,299 in Tamarindo versus $3,505 in Athens.

Living in Tamarindo is roughly 5% more expensive than Athens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tamarindo 35% above, Athens 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 ₡5,013

$17.31 €14.73

-36.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 ₡27.5K

$64.0 €54.4

-5.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 ₡4,243

$10.60 €9.02

-12.17%

Cappuccino

$3.82 ₡1,740

$4.40 €3.74

-13.18%

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

$1.97 ₡897

$2.49 €2.12

-20.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₡730

$0.63 €0.54

153.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 ₡1,325

$5.63 €4.79

-48.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 ₡2,064

$5.64 €4.80

-19.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ₡940

$1.87 €1.60

10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 ₡1,281

$1.42 €1.21

97.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,022

$2.81 €2.39

-20.28%

Eggs

$2.92 ₡1,328

$4.89 €4.16

-40.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.89 ₡4,508

$14.58 €12.41

-32.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 ₡4,129

$11.23 €9.55

-19.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 ₡6,333

$14.84 €12.63

-6.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 ₡2,021

$2.27 €1.93

95.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₡688

$2.16 €1.83

-30.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,472

$1.57 €1.33

105.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,563

$2.38 €2.03

44.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 ₡1,062

$1.41 €1.20

65.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 ₡1,402

$1.20 €1.03

156.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡463

$1.22 €1.04

-16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₡1,304

$1.00 €0.85

186.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.88 ₡2,221

$5.51 €4.69

-11.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.39 ₡6,101

$10.49 €8.93

27.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₡1,152

$2.04 €1.73

24.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,284

$2.98 €2.54

-5.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 ₡880

$1.41 €1.20

36.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 ₡25.3K

$34.86 €29.66

59.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 ₡820

$4.65 €3.96

-61.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 ₡820

$1.06 €0.91

69.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 ₡2,612

$17.55 €14.94

-67.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₡645

$2.11 €1.80

-32.70%

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

$35.5K ₡16.2M

$29.4K €25.0K

20.87%

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

$33.0K ₡15.0M

$30.0K €25.5K

10.10%

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

$92.3 ₡42.1K

$218 €186

-57.74%

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

$21.69 ₡9,881

$27.31 €23.24

-20.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 ₡24.3K

$34.41 €29.28

54.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 ₡44.0K

$55.8 €47.52

72.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.52 ₡10.7K

$26.08 €22.19

-9.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.84 ₡3,115

$10.37 €8.83

-34.04%

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

$534 ₡243.1K

$548 €466

-2.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,954 ₡4.1M

$11.1K €9,407

-18.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 ₡28.0K

$93.5 €79.6

-34.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.10 ₡11.0K

$47.33 €40.28

-49.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₡49.2K

$101 €85.8

7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡49.7K

$123 €104

-11.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 ₡826.7K

$640 €544

183.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 ₡353.7K

$582 €495

33.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,926 ₡1.3M

$1,178 €1,003

148.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 ₡414.2K

$1,001 €851

-9.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,437 ₡2.5M

$4,035 €3,434

34.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,202 ₡1.5M

$3,473 €2,955

-7.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$950 ₡433.0K

$1,344 €1,144

-29.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

80.36%

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

Last update for Tamarindo: May 2, 2026

Last update for Athens: May 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,814 in Tamarindo and $640 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Tamarindo vs $64.0 in Athens. Groceries flip the comparison at $344 vs $311, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

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

Tamarindo vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Tamarindo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Athens earns 41% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,814 in Tamarindo versus $640 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $60.0 in Tamarindo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,823 per month in Tamarindo versus $1,737 in Athens – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,737 in Athens versus $1,823 in Tamarindo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Tamarindo. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,737 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tamarindo and Athens are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Tamarindo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.