Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Aachen

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $1,931 in Aachen, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Aachen
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Aachen Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Aachen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Aachen

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

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Athens vs $1,931 in Aachen, rent included.

Athens $1,806
Aachen $1,931

A couple spends around $2,731 per month in Athens vs $2,903 in Aachen, rent included.

Athens $2,731
Aachen $2,903

A family of three spends $3,656 per month in Athens vs $3,876 in Aachen, rent included.

Athens $3,656
Aachen $3,876

Athens is about 6% cheaper than Aachen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Athens and Aachen sit above the global median – Athens by 35%, Aachen by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.87

$15.98 €14.26

4.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

$60.6 €54.1

9.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.87

$11.44 €10.21

-3.32%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$3.83 €3.42

8.09%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$2.73 €2.44

2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$2.97 €2.65

-80.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$5.04 €4.50

11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

$5.78 €5.16

-5.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.22 €1.08

60.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.88 €1.68

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$3.56 €3.18

-20.51%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.50

$3.46 €3.09

45.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.70

$14.38 €12.84

6.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.23

$11.45 €10.22

-9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.93

$21.27 €18.98

-10.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.39 €3.02

-35.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.32 €2.07

-17.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.15 €1.92

-35.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.34 €2.98

-34.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.49 €1.33

-26.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$1.51 €1.34

-25.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.42 €1.26

-22.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.20 €1.07

-30.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$9.94 €8.87

-43.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.09

$6.76 €6.03

50.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.17 €1.05

86.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.66 €1.48

47.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$3.87 €3.45

-64.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.55

$69.8 €62.3

-55.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$5.34 €4.77

-18.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$2.63 €2.35

-60.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

$36.76 €32.80

-53.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.29 €2.05

0.87%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$33.3K €29.7K

-15.99%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$39.1K €34.9K

-28.32%

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

$210 €187

$375 €335

-44.13%

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

$26.70 €23.83

$17.00 €15.17

57.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

$47.36 €42.26

-36.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.72

$37.39 €33.37

46.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

$27.99 €24.98

-7.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

$15.48 €13.81

-30.36%

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

$575 €513

$745 €664

-22.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

$19.6K €17.5K

-32.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$92.1 €82.2

1.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

$41.91 €37.40

-2.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

$82.9 €74.0

25.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$132 €118

-3.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$837 €747

-9.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$570 €508

14.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,154

$1,505 €1,343

-14.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,038

$1,037 €925

12.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

$4,432 €3,955

-9.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

$3,464 €3,091

-0.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,110

$3,614 €3,225

-65.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.96

13.13%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Aachen: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Aachen

$570 29.4% 12.7% $83

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Aachen

$330 17% 4.8% $15

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Aachen

$268 13.8% 0.4% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Aachen

$440 22.7% 65% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Aachen

$157 8.1% 4.6% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Aachen

$68 3.5% 10.3% $7.8

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Aachen

$104 5.4% 126% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Athens versus $837 in Aachen. 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 191% higher in Aachen, 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 $66.0 in Athens versus $61.0 in Aachen. Groceries tell a different story – $315 in Athens vs $330 in Aachen – so Athens wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇩🇪 Aachen

🕒 Local time

07:56 7:56 AM

06:56 6:56 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

241,683

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Athens Aachen 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Athens vs Aachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,806 in Athens, $1,931 in Aachen – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,709 per month in Athens and $2,896 in Aachen. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Athens and $61.0 in Aachen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,806 in Athens and $1,931 in Aachen. That's a gap of about 7%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Athens, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Aachen at $1,931. In Athens it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aachen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Athens has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,806 in Athens to $1,931 in Aachen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Aachen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.