Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alges and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,009 in Alges, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Alges outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Alges
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,009
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alges 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 Alges and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,009 per month in Alges vs $1,775 in Athens, rent included.

  • Alges $2,009
  • Athens $1,775

A couple spends around $2,853 per month in Alges vs $2,721 in Athens, rent included.

  • Alges $2,853
  • Athens $2,721

A family of three spends $3,697 per month in Alges vs $3,666 in Athens, rent included.

  • Alges $3,697
  • Athens $3,666

Alges costs about 13% more than Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alges and Athens sit above the global median – Alges by 49%, Athens by 31%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alges
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.36 €13.66
$16.69 €14.84
-7.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 €48.68
$67.8 €60.3
-19.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.41 €8.37
$11.14 €9.91
-15.53%
Cappuccino
$2.64 €2.35
$4.03 €3.58
-34.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.09
$2.77 €2.46
-15.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$0.55 €0.49
309.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.01
$5.74 €5.10
-40.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 €4.93
$5.45 €4.85
1.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alges
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.82 €1.62
-42.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.38 €1.23
42.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 €1.98
$2.80 €2.49
-20.36%
Eggs
$3.42 €3.04
$4.83 €4.30
-29.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.82 €9.63
$15.05 €13.39
-28.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.10 €6.31
$10.63 €9.45
-33.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.95 €13.30
$18.43 €16.39
-18.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 €2.54
$2.20 €1.96
29.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.90 €1.69
-27.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.37 €1.22
29.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.24 €2.00
$2.10 €1.87
6.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.08 €0.96
44.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 €1.98
$1.12 €1.00
99.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.12 €1.00
37.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 €0.69
$0.88 €0.79
-11.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.67 €5.05
$5.48 €4.88
3.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.90 €4.35
$10.13 €9.01
-51.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 €1.03
$2.13 €1.89
-45.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 €2.75
$2.25 €2.00
37.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Alges
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.36 €1.21
66.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.01 €39.15
$29.89 €26.59
47.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.56 €4.06
$4.45 €3.96
2.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 €0.88
$1.02 €0.90
-2.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.84 €15.87
$16.92 €15.05
5.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.05 €1.83
$2.25 €2.00
-8.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.1K
$28.0K €24.9K
20.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.1K €33.9K
$28.2K €25.1K
35.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alges
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$137 €122
$205 €182
-33.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.63 €21.91
$26.65 €23.71
-7.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.3 €50.1
$30.38 €27.02
85.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alges
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.85 €39.89
$54.5 €48.47
-17.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.11 €15.22
$25.88 €23.02
-33.89%
Cinema Ticket
$7.20 €6.40
$10.42 €9.27
-30.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alges
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$597 €531
$569 €506
4.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.6K
$12.6K €11.2K
48.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alges
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.8 €68.3
$88.7 €78.9
-13.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.38 €29.69
$40.46 €35.99
-17.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.7 €80.6
$105 €93.3
-13.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.8 €84.3
$121 €108
-21.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alges
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,240 €1,103
$741 €659
67.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 €938
$655 €582
61.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,047 €1,821
$1,300 €1,156
57.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,559 €1,386
$1,148 €1,021
35.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,991 €2,660
$4,014 €3,570
-25.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,264 €2,014
$3,460 €3,078
-34.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alges
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,229 €1,093
$1,242 €1,105
-1.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
4.48
-18.08%

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

Last update for Alges: October 12, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alges
$1.1K
Athens
$655 37.9% $400
Groceries & Markets
Alges
$253
Athens
$310 22.9% $58
Eating Out
Alges
$229
Athens
$268 17% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alges
$218
Athens
$262 20.3% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Alges
$133
Athens
$160 20.2% $27
Getting Around
Alges
$63
Athens
$45 28.3% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Alges
$59
Athens
$75 27.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Alges 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 1% higher in Athens, 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 $55.0 in Alges versus $68.0 in Athens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $310 – making Alges the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Alges
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
14:39 2:39 PM
16:39 4:39 PM
2 h ahead of Alges
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,327
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alges Athens 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Alges
  • 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
Alges vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Alges and in Athens compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,009 in Alges, $1,775 in Athens – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Alges compared to Athens?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,013 per month in Alges and $2,662 in Athens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Alges and Athens?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Athens, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Alges and Athens?
Kindergarten costs $597 per month in Alges and $569 in Athens. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Alges – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Athens, where all-in costs run around $1,775, than in Alges at $2,009. In Athens it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alges it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Alges and Athens?
It depends on your priorities. Alges has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,775 in Athens to $2,009 in Alges. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Alges or Athens safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Alges and Athens?
If budget matters most, go with Athens. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alges makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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