Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alba and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Alba: $1,630 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Athens outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Alba
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Alba Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Alba

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,630

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alba and in Athens

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

A single person spends $1,630 per month in Alba vs $1,775 in Athens, rent included.

Alba $1,630
Athens $1,775

A couple spends around $2,551 per month in Alba vs $2,721 in Athens, rent included.

Alba $2,551
Athens $2,721

A family of three spends $3,473 per month in Alba vs $3,666 in Athens, rent included.

Alba $3,473
Athens $3,666

Alba is about 8% cheaper than Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alba and Athens sit above the global median – Alba by 21%, Athens by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.91 €19.49

$16.69 €14.84

31.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.0 €78.3

$67.8 €60.3

29.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 €11.89

$11.14 €9.91

19.93%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.90

$4.03 €3.58

-47.15%

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

$3.68 €3.27

$2.77 €2.46

32.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$0.55 €0.49

230.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.94

$5.74 €5.10

-3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 €6.08

$5.45 €4.85

25.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.49

$1.82 €1.62

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 €2.95

$1.38 €1.23

140.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 €3.11

$2.80 €2.49

24.64%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.51

$4.83 €4.30

5.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.19 €20.63

$15.05 €13.39

54.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 €13.05

$10.63 €9.45

38.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.94 €20.40

$18.43 €16.39

24.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.20 €1.96

40.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.06

$1.90 €1.69

22.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$1.37 €1.22

148.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 €3.70

$2.10 €1.87

98.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.06

$1.08 €0.96

114.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.79

$1.12 €1.00

80.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.12 €1.00

54.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.88 €0.79

-30.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.13

$5.48 €4.88

25.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 €8.48

$10.13 €9.01

-5.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.13 €1.89

-7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.25 €2.00

8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 €7.11

$4.45 €3.96

79.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.95

$1.02 €0.90

115.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.8 €56.8

$16.92 €15.05

277.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.25 €2.00

-4.89%

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

$36.7K €32.6K

$28.0K €24.9K

30.86%

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

$36.7K €32.6K

$28.2K €25.1K

29.95%

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

$249 €221

$205 €182

21.62%

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

$8.00 €7.12

$26.65 €23.71

-69.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 €26.09

$30.38 €27.02

-3.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 €11.00

$10.42 €9.27

18.71%

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

$855 €761

$569 €506

50.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K €17.0K

$12.6K €11.2K

51.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.7 €88.7

$88.7 €78.9

12.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.95 €44.43

$40.46 €35.99

23.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €102

$105 €93.3

9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €146

$121 €108

35.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 €476

$741 €659

-27.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 €342

$655 €582

-41.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 €651

$1,300 €1,156

-43.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 €548

$1,148 €1,021

-46.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,916 €2,594

$4,014 €3,570

-27.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,652 €2,359

$1,242 €1,105

113.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

4.48

-29.02%

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

Last update for Alba: October 12, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Alba

$419 25.7%

Athens

$310 17.5% 25.9% $108

Accommodation & Living

Alba

$384 23.6%

Athens

$655 36.9% 70.5% $271

Eating Out

Alba

$304 18.7%

Athens

$268 15.1% 11.9% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alba

$286 17.6%

Athens

$262 14.7% 8.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Alba

$193 11.8%

Athens

$160 9% 17.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Alba

$25 * 1.5%

Athens

$75 4.2% 205% $51

Getting Around

Alba

$19 * 1.2%

Athens

$45 2.5% 137% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $535 in Alba versus $741 in Athens. 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 113% higher in Alba, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Alba versus $68.0 in Athens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $419 vs $310 – making Athens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Alba

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

08:02 8:02 AM

1 h ahead of Alba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,910

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Alba Athens 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Alba
Athens

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

Alba vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Athens is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,445 per month in Alba and $2,662 in Athens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alba, 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 $88.0 in Alba and $68.0 in Athens. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 35% cheaper in Athens – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Alba, where all-in costs run around $1,630, than in Athens at $1,775. In Alba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Athens it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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