Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Aarschot

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,043 in Aarschot, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Aarschot
Learn more

Aarschot Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Aarschot

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,043

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Aarschot

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 Aarschot actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $2,043 in Aarschot.

Athens $1,775
Aarschot $2,043

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,981 in Aarschot.

Athens $2,721
Aarschot $2,981

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,919 in Aarschot.

Athens $3,666
Aarschot $3,919

Living in Athens costs roughly 13% less than in Aarschot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Aarschot 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$17.81 €15.84

-6.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$77.2 €68.6

-12.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$10.96 €9.75

1.64%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$3.68 €3.27

9.51%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$2.97 €2.65

-6.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$2.62 €2.33

-79.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$5.18 €4.61

10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$4.42 €3.93

23.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.24 €1.10

46.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.80 €2.49

-50.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.02 €1.79

38.61%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$3.73 €3.32

29.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$11.33 €10.08

32.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$11.70 €10.41

-9.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$14.96 €13.31

23.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.70 €2.41

-18.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.23 €1.98

-14.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.16 €1.92

-36.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.20 €1.95

-4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$2.20 €1.96

-50.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.75 €1.56

-36.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.50 €1.34

-25.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.90 €0.80

-2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$9.28 €8.26

-40.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$7.24 €6.44

39.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.03 €1.80

4.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.77 €1.58

27.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$3.13 €2.79

-56.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$133 €118

-77.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$4.98 €4.43

-10.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$2.49 €2.21

-59.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$16.79 €14.93

0.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.97 €1.75

14.21%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$35.9K €31.9K

-21.94%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$34.1K €30.3K

-17.17%

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

$205 €182

$210 €186

-2.34%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$18.26 €16.24

45.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$53.8 €47.82

-43.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$36.30 €32.29

50.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$17.78 €15.81

45.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$14.46 €12.86

-27.94%

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

$569 €506

$701 €624

-18.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$15.9K €14.1K

-20.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$86.4 €76.9

2.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$25.84 €22.98

56.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$88.0 €78.3

19.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$131 €116

-7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$920 €818

-19.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$806 €717

-18.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$1,371 €1,219

-5.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$1,158 €1,030

-0.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$3,530 €3,140

13.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$2,807 €2,497

23.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$3,157 €2,808

-60.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.52

27.27%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Aarschot: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Aarschot

$806 39.4% 23.1% $151

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Aarschot

$302 14.8% 2.6% $8.1

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Aarschot

$277 13.5% 3.2% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Aarschot

$282 13.8% 7.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Aarschot

$149 7.3% 6.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Aarschot

$65 3.2% 13.4% $10

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Aarschot

$163 8% 263% $118

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $920 in Aarschot. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aarschot pays 154% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $77.0 in Aarschot. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $302, with Aarschot cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇧🇪 Aarschot

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

01:05 1:05 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

27,656

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Athens Aarschot 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
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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

Athens vs Aarschot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and transport. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 154% lower in Aarschot. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $920 in Aarschot. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Aarschot pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $77.0 in Aarschot. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,043 in Aarschot, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Aarschot. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Athens is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Aarschot, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Athens and Aarschot are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Aarschot. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.