TL;DRAtenas is 73% cheaper on rent ($650/mo vs $2,388/mo). Costa Rica gets you to permanent residency 7 years faster (3 vs 10 years). Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Atenas edges ahead 61 to 53. Chicago isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

How the livability score breaks down

Atenas

Chicago

22.6/25

💰 Affordability

5.9/25

0/15

🔒 Violent Crime

0/15

4.6/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

3.5/10

5.3/15

⚡ Internet

13.5/15

12.4/15

🗳️ Democracy

11.8/15

5.5/10

🗣️ English

10/10

9/10

☀️ Climate

9.2/10

10/10

📊 Stability

7.1/10

4.3/10

🚗 Road Safety

3.4/10

5.9/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

4.2/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇨🇷 Atenas

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇺🇸 Chicago

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

New York vs Chicago

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Atenas

Metric

Chicago

—

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$819/mo

✓$3800

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$8623

33 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

34 / 100

17.7 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

17.5 / 100k

—

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

14.2 / 100k

—

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

35 / 100

81°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

81°F

64°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

25°F

—

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

180 Mbps

—

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

11.3 μg/m³

—

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

80 / 100

✓8.3 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

7.8 / 10

5.4 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

8.0 / 9✓

69 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

67 / 100

30/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

100/100✓

$31k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$86k✓

✓-0.4% · Practically frozen

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.9% · Boringly steady

—

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

83/100 — Mostly stable

—

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

80/100

See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Atenas

$1,738/mo cheaper on rent alone

🗳️

Democracy

Atenas

8.3/10 EIU index

📋

Residency

Atenas

PR in 3 years

Sun

How much sky you actually get

28% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

53% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

11.6h

Shortest day

Dec

9.1h

12.7h

Longest day

Jun

15.2h

Sun clocks out early in Chicago's winter. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

—

Democracy trend

stable →

Inflation trend

improving ↑

—

Industries

financetradinghealthcaremanufacturing

—

Startup ecosystem

hub

Easy

🇺🇸 Your visa

Easy

EU visa

Moderate

Easy

RU visa

Suspended

Easy

UA visa

Moderate

⚠️ Needs a separate work permit

Spouse works

⚠️ Partner work rights are very limited

—

Partner pathway

Not recognized

$1,000/mo

Retiree visa

—

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

Health & life only

Abortion access

On request

—

Gestational limit

24 wk

Permitted only to avoid danger to the mother's life or health. No gestational limit specified for therapeutic exceptions.

Protected by the Reproductive Health Act; regional access hub for the Midwest.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Atenas vs Chicago — Common Questions

Is Atenas cheaper than Chicago?▾

Atenas is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $650/month there vs $2388/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Atenas or Chicago?▾

Chicago is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Atenas has a rate of 17.75 per 100,000 and Chicago has 17.50 per 100,000.

Should I move to Atenas or Chicago?▾

Atenas edges ahead 61 to 53. Chicago isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Atenas or Chicago?▾

Atenas: Costa Rica Pensionado (easy to get, 2 years (renewable, PR after 3 years)). Chicago: US Employment-Based Green Card (complex process, Permanent residence). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Can I live in Atenas or Chicago without speaking the local language?▾

Chicago is easier for street-level English (100/100) than Atenas (30/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Atenas vs Chicago?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $650/month in Atenas, $2388/month in Chicago (Numbeo). That's 73% cheaper rent in Atenas.