Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,389 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,389

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,389 per month in Ankara vs $1,779 in Athens, rent included.

Ankara $1,389
Athens $1,779

A couple spends around $2,087 per month in Ankara vs $2,721 in Athens, rent included.

Ankara $2,087
Athens $2,721

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Ankara vs $3,663 in Athens, rent included.

Ankara $2,785
Athens $3,663

Ankara is about 22% cheaper than Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ankara and Athens sit above the global median – Ankara by 3%, Athens by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ₺507

$16.83 €14.99

-39.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.81 ₺2,197

$66.0 €58.8

-33.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 ₺490

$11.21 €9.98

-12.76%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₺207

$4.08 €3.64

0.98%

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

$1.68 ₺84.3

$2.77 €2.47

-39.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₺36.05

$0.54 €0.48

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 ₺252

$5.70 €5.07

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 ₺331

$6.26 €5.58

5.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₺58.4

$1.84 €1.64

-36.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₺48.39

$1.43 €1.27

-32.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₺113

$2.67 €2.38

-15.73%

Eggs

$2.66 ₺134

$4.95 €4.41

-46.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 ₺506

$15.09 €13.44

-33.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 ₺272

$10.99 €9.79

-50.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.99 ₺1,003

$19.77 €17.60

1.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₺95.8

$2.12 €1.89

-9.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ₺109

$1.98 €1.76

10.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺63.3

$1.33 €1.18

-5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 ₺82.6

$2.16 €1.92

-23.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.69

$1.06 €0.94

-38.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₺27.40

$1.15 €1.02

-52.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₺49.75

$1.08 €0.96

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₺32.90

$0.85 €0.75

-22.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 ₺113

$5.46 €4.86

-58.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 ₺620

$10.03 €8.93

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₺106

$2.04 €1.82

3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₺161

$2.38 €2.12

34.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ₺38.86

$1.35 €1.20

-42.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.85 ₺595

$30.52 €27.18

-61.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$3.81 €3.39

-66.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₺42.02

$1.03 €0.92

-18.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 ₺412

$16.49 €14.68

-50.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₺69.5

$2.34 €2.09

-40.60%

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

$48.4K ₺2.4M

$27.8K €24.7K

74.49%

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

$40.2K ₺2.0M

$26.6K €23.7K

51.28%

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

$99.9 ₺5,011

$202 €180

-50.59%

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

$11.15 ₺559

$26.81 €23.87

-58.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.94 ₺900

$30.49 €27.14

-41.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.0 ₺3,611

$54.1 €48.14

33.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ₺742

$27.40 €24.40

-45.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 ₺390

$10.44 €9.30

-25.57%

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

$1,084 ₺54.3K

$568 €505

90.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₺1.1M

$15.2K €13.5K

48.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ₺2,677

$90.7 €80.7

-41.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 ₺2,401

$39.32 €35.01

21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,229

$105 €93.7

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.8 ₺4,905

$129 €115

-24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ₺37.5K

$742 €661

0.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₺27.9K

$648 €577

-14.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 ₺57.3K

$1,271 €1,132

-10.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 ₺45.2K

$1,122 €999

-19.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,644 ₺82.5K

$3,999 €3,561

-58.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 ₺57.3K

$3,281 €2,921

-65.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₺53.1K

$1,245 €1,109

-15.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.85

4.44

887.61%

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

Last update for Ankara: November 2, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$557 40.1%

Athens

$648 36.4% 16.5% $92

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$251 18.1%

Athens

$316 17.8% 26.1% $65

Eating Out

Ankara

$208 14.9%

Athens

$272 15.3% 30.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Athens

$164 9.2% 20.1% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$129 9.3%

Athens

$260 14.6% 101% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$88 6.3%

Athens

$75 4.2% 14.4% $13

Getting Around

Ankara

$20 1.5%

Athens

$45 2.5% 120% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $748 in Ankara versus $742 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 18% higher in Athens, 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 $44 in Ankara versus $66 in Athens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $316 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

08:53 8:53 AM

1 h behind Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ankara Athens 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ankara
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

Ankara vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens costs about 28% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,083 per month in Ankara and $2,669 in Athens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $748 in Ankara and $742 in Athens. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $1,084 per month in Ankara and $568 in Athens. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Athens, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,389 in Ankara and $1,779 in Athens. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,389 versus $1,779 in Athens. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Ankara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Athens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.