Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Aktau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $798 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$798

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Aktau

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

A single person spends $1,779 per month in Athens vs $798 in Aktau, rent included.

Athens $1,779
Aktau $798

A couple spends around $2,721 per month in Athens vs $1,321 in Aktau, rent included.

Athens $2,721
Aktau $1,321

A family of three spends $3,663 per month in Athens vs $1,844 in Aktau, rent included.

Athens $3,663
Aktau $1,844

Athens costs about 123% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Athens sits 32% above the global median, while Aktau is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$11.26 ₸5,075

49.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$43.53 ₸19.6K

51.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.98

$10.11 ₸4,556

10.88%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$2.56 ₸1,154

59.38%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$0.75 ₸339

269.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.45 ₸205

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$1.29 ₸582

341.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$1.53 ₸692

309.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.45 ₸655

26.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.57 ₸256

150.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.82 ₸822

46.70%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$1.73 ₸780

186.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.44

$9.77 ₸4,406

54.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$4.21 ₸1,900

161.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.60

$8.55 ₸3,855

131.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.51 ₸681

40.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.23 ₸1,004

-11.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$2.40 ₸1,083

-44.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.86 ₸1,290

-24.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.66 ₸297

60.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.52 ₸236

121.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.46 ₸660

-26.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.95 ₸430

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$2.60 ₸1,170

110.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

$9.49 ₸4,279

5.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$0.76 ₸341

168.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$0.90 ₸407

164.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.16 ₸72.1

743.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$1.13 ₸508

237.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.64 ₸289

60.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.67 ₸300

249.25%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$31.2K ₸14.1M

-14.80%

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

$202 €180

$46.54 ₸21.0K

334.51%

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

$26.81 €23.87

$8.14 ₸3,668

229.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.14

$10.99 ₸4,956

177.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.14

$36.51 ₸16.5K

48.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$3.12 ₸1,407

234.62%

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

$568 €505

$146 ₸65.7K

289.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$2,643 ₸1.2M

474.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.7

$67.5 ₸30.4K

34.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.01

$39.11 ₸17.6K

0.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$71.7 ₸32.3K

46.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$88.0 ₸39.7K

46.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$325 ₸146.6K

128.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €577

$199 ₸89.8K

225.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$547 ₸246.5K

132.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$393 ₸177.2K

185.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,561

$810 ₸365.3K

393.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,921

$645 ₸290.8K

408.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

$569 ₸256.4K

118.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

-68.29%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Aktau

$199 25% 69.3% $449

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Aktau

$200 25.1% 36.7% $116

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Aktau

$165 20.7% 39.1% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Aktau

$66 8.2% 74.7% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Aktau

$120 15% 26.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Aktau

$43 5.4% 43% $32

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Aktau

$5 * 0.6% 88.9% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $742 in Athens versus $325 in Aktau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Athens are about 2.2 times higher, 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 in Athens versus $44 in Aktau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $200 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

12:10 12:10 PM

3 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

273,830

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

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

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Aktau 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Aktau

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 Aktau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens costs about 123% more than Aktau, 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 $2,669 per month in Athens and $1,197 in Aktau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $325 there versus $742 in Athens.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Athens and $44 in Aktau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Athens, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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