Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altstätten and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $3,362 in Altstätten, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Altstätten
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,362
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,362 per month in Altstätten vs $1,775 in Athens, rent included.

  • Altstätten $3,362
  • Athens $1,775

A couple spends around $5,134 per month in Altstätten vs $2,721 in Athens, rent included.

  • Altstätten $5,134
  • Athens $2,721

A family of three spends $6,905 per month in Altstätten vs $3,666 in Athens, rent included.

  • Altstätten $6,905
  • Athens $3,666

Altstätten costs about 89% more than Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Altstätten and Athens sit above the global median – Altstätten by 149%, Athens by 31%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Altstätten
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.51 CHF 24.30
$16.69 €14.84
76.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 CHF 97.2
$67.8 €60.3
74.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$17.80 CHF 14.66
$11.14 €9.91
59.78%
Cappuccino
$5.94 CHF 4.89
$4.03 €3.58
47.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.13 CHF 4.22
$2.77 €2.46
85.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.86 CHF 4.01
$0.55 €0.49
783.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.25 CHF 7.62
$5.74 €5.10
61.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.32 CHF 6.03
$5.45 €4.85
34.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Altstätten
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.19 CHF 1.80
$1.82 €1.62
20.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.56 CHF 2.93
$1.38 €1.23
157.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.68 CHF 3.03
$2.80 €2.49
31.43%
Eggs
$7.71 CHF 6.35
$4.83 €4.30
59.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$25.63 CHF 21.11
$15.05 €13.39
70.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$28.49 CHF 23.47
$10.63 €9.45
168.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$40.80 CHF 33.60
$18.43 €16.39
121.38%
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 CHF 2.96
$2.20 €1.96
63.64%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 CHF 1.67
$1.90 €1.69
6.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.68 CHF 2.21
$1.37 €1.22
95.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.75 CHF 3.91
$2.10 €1.87
126.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.84 CHF 1.52
$1.08 €0.96
70.37%
Onion (1kg)
$2.10 CHF 1.73
$1.12 €1.00
87.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.22 CHF 1.83
$1.12 €1.00
98.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 CHF 1.07
$0.88 €0.79
46.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.72 CHF 8.83
$5.48 €4.88
95.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.90 CHF 10.63
$10.13 €9.01
27.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 CHF 2.32
$2.13 €1.89
32.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 CHF 2.56
$2.25 €2.00
38.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Altstätten
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.63 CHF 3.81
$1.36 €1.21
240.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$100 CHF 82.7
$29.89 €26.59
235.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.47 CHF 6.15
$4.45 €3.96
67.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.66 CHF 3.84
$1.02 €0.90
356.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$74.3 CHF 61.2
$16.92 €15.05
339.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.24 CHF 1.84
$2.25 €2.00
-0.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.5K CHF 33.4K
$28.0K €24.9K
44.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.6K CHF 32.6K
$28.2K €25.1K
40.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Altstätten
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$277 CHF 228
$205 €182
35.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.44 CHF 26.72
$26.65 €23.71
21.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.8 CHF 45.95
$30.38 €27.02
83.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Altstätten
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$91.5 CHF 75.4
$54.5 €48.47
67.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$44.93 CHF 37.01
$25.88 €23.02
73.61%
Cinema Ticket
$22.65 CHF 18.66
$10.42 €9.27
117.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Altstätten
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,646 CHF 2,179
$569 €506
364.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$34.1K CHF 28.1K
$12.6K €11.2K
170.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Altstätten
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$143 CHF 118
$88.7 €78.9
61.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.4 CHF 47.30
$40.46 €35.99
41.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$149 CHF 123
$105 €93.3
42.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$185 CHF 152
$121 €108
52.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Altstätten
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,668 CHF 1,374
$741 €659
125.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 CHF 1,168
$655 €582
116.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,868 CHF 2,362
$1,300 €1,156
120.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,429 CHF 2,000
$1,148 €1,021
111.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$15.7K CHF 12.9K
$4,014 €3,570
290.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$12.2K CHF 10.0K
$3,460 €3,078
251.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Altstätten
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,242 €1,105
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.07
4.48
-53.79%

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

Last update for Altstätten: 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
Altstätten
$1.4K
Athens
$655 53.9% $764
Groceries & Markets
Altstätten
$590
Athens
$310 47.3% $279
Eating Out
Altstätten
$462
Athens
$268 41.9% $193
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Altstätten
$365
Athens
$262 28.3% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Altstätten
$241
Athens
$160 33.5% $81
Getting Around
Altstätten
$150
Athens
$45 70% $105
Sport & Entertainment
Altstätten
$137
Athens
$75 45% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Altstätten 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Altstätten versus $68.0 in Athens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $590 vs $310 – making Athens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Altstätten
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
05:31 5:31 AM
06:31 6:31 AM
1 h ahead of Altstätten
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,145
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Altstätten Athens 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Altstätten
  • 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
Altstätten vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Athens cheaper than Altstätten?
Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,043 per month in Altstätten and $2,662 in Athens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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 are total monthly expenses in Altstätten and in Athens?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,362 in Altstätten and $1,775 in Athens. That's a gap of about 89%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 236% less in Athens. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Altstätten or in Athens?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Athens, where all-in costs run around $1,775, than in Altstätten at $3,362. In Athens it covers expenses comfortably, while in Altstätten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Altstätten or Athens more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Athens – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Altstätten or Athens?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Athens. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Altstätten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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