Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $3,504 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,504

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,504 per month in Amsterdam vs $1,806 in Athens, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,504
Athens $1,806

A couple spends around $5,010 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,731 in Athens, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,010
Athens $2,731

A family of three spends $6,516 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,656 in Athens, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,516
Athens $3,656

Amsterdam costs about 94% more than Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Amsterdam and Athens sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 161%, Athens by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.37 €19.96

$16.66 €14.87

34.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 €81.2

$66.2 €59.1

37.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.36 €13.71

$11.06 €9.87

38.88%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €4.11

$4.14 €3.69

11.11%

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

$3.74 €3.33

$2.80 €2.50

33.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.70

$0.57 €0.51

431.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 €6.62

$5.64 €5.03

31.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.07

$5.46 €4.87

4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.96 €1.75

-22.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.13

$1.41 €1.26

68.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.83 €2.53

-10.25%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.68

$5.04 €4.50

3.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.95 €15.13

$15.35 €13.70

10.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.41 €11.97

$10.34 €9.23

29.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 €20.53

$18.97 €16.93

21.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.45

$2.17 €1.93

26.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$1.91 €1.70

48.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.38 €1.23

90.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 €3.45

$2.20 €1.96

75.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.10 €0.98

117.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.13 €1.00

51.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.28

$1.10 €0.99

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.59

$0.83 €0.74

114.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.48 €12.92

$5.60 €4.99

158.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 €8.22

$10.19 €9.09

-9.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.59

$2.18 €1.95

-18.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.26

$2.45 €2.19

3.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.72 €3.32

$1.38 €1.23

169.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €104

$30.87 €27.55

276.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.19

$4.37 €3.90

7.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.40 €3.04

$1.04 €0.93

226.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.74 €34.57

$17.11 €15.27

126.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.61 €2.33

$2.31 €2.07

12.99%

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

$41.7K €37.2K

$28.0K €25.0K

48.92%

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

$38.2K €34.1K

$28.0K €25.0K

36.20%

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

$298 €266

$210 €187

42.00%

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

$22.98 €20.51

$26.70 €23.83

-13.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 €47.26

$30.13 €26.89

75.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 €53.9

$54.6 €48.72

10.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.40 €31.59

$26.03 €23.23

36.00%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 €15.05

$10.78 €9.62

56.40%

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

$2,764 €2,466

$575 €513

380.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.3K

$13.1K €11.7K

30.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €83.2

$93.2 €83.1

0.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.20 €36.77

$40.68 €36.30

1.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €89.3

$104 €92.9

-3.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €119

$128 €115

3.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 €2,325

$756 €674

244.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 €1,720

$652 €582

195.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,903 €3,483

$1,294 €1,154

201.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,115 €2,780

$1,163 €1,038

167.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K €9,201

$4,008 €3,577

157.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,540 €5,836

$3,452 €3,081

89.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,524 €4,038

$1,243 €1,110

263.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

4.48

-27.01%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 3, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$1.9K 55.8%

Athens

$652 36.5% 66.1% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$388 11.2%

Athens

$315 17.6% 18.8% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$374 10.8%

Athens

$267 14.9% 28.7% $107

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$356 10.3%

Athens

$269 15% 24.5% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$165 4.8%

Athens

$165 9.2% 0.4% $0.6

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Athens

$46 2.6% 69.9% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$94 2.7%

Athens

$76 4.3% 19.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,605 in Amsterdam versus $756 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 264% higher in Amsterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Amsterdam versus $66.0 in Athens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $315 – making Athens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

06:48 6:48 AM

07:48 7:48 AM

1 h ahead of Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

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

Amsterdam Athens 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Amsterdam
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

Amsterdam vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,255 per month in Amsterdam and $2,709 in Athens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 277% less in Athens. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,764 per month in Amsterdam and $575 in Athens. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Athens, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Amsterdam at $3,504. In Athens it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Athens. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.