Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Al-Qusayr

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Qusayr: $642 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens, Greece
Al-Qusayr, Syria
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,779
/mo nomad
Al-Qusayr
🇸🇾 Syria
$642
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Al-Qusayr

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 Al-Qusayr actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $642 in Al-Qusayr.

  • Athens $1,779
  • Al-Qusayr $642

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,015 in Al-Qusayr.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Al-Qusayr $1,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $1,388 in Al-Qusayr.

  • Athens $3,663
  • Al-Qusayr $1,388

Living in Athens is roughly 177% more expensive than in Al-Qusayr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Al-Qusayr is 53% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Al-Qusayr
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €15.06
$9.93 SYP 1,206
69.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0 €59.1
$41.72 SYP 5,070
58.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.21 €10.03
$7.16 SYP 870
56.56%
Cappuccino
$4.08 €3.65
$3.64 SYP 442
12.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.48
$2.23 SYP 271
24.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.48
$0.86 SYP 105
-37.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.70 €5.10
$1.92 SYP 233
196.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.26 €5.60
$3.97 SYP 482
57.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Al-Qusayr
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 €1.65
$1.05 SYP 127
75.24%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 €1.28
$0.44 SYP 53.7
225.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.67 €2.39
$1.57 SYP 190
70.06%
Eggs
$4.95 €4.43
$1.57 SYP 191
215.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.09 €13.51
$3.86 SYP 469
290.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.99 €9.83
$5.87 SYP 713
87.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.77 €17.69
$13.88 SYP 1,687
42.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.12 €1.90
$1.07 SYP 130
98.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.77
$1.42 SYP 172
39.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 €1.19
$1.13 SYP 137
17.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.93
$1.07 SYP 130
101.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 €0.95
$0.79 SYP 96.3
34.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 €1.03
$0.80 SYP 97.4
43.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.97
$0.43 SYP 52.8
151.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 €0.76
$0.67 SYP 80.9
26.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.46 €4.88
$2.77 SYP 337
97.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.03 €8.97
$4.85 SYP 589
106.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 €1.83
$1.15 SYP 140
77.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 €2.13
$2.89 SYP 351
-17.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Al-Qusayr
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.35 €1.21
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.52 €27.31
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 €3.41
$0.98 SYP 119
288.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 €0.92
$1.54 SYP 187
-33.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.49 €14.75
$7.76 SYP 944
112.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.34 €2.10
$3.78 SYP 459
-38.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K €24.8K
$14.9K SYP 1.8M
86.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K €23.8K
$19.0K SYP 2.3M
40.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Al-Qusayr
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 €181
$140 SYP 17.0K
44.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.81 €23.99
$9.49 SYP 1,153
182.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.49 €27.28
$46.20 SYP 5,615
-34.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Al-Qusayr
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 €48.38
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.40 €24.52
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.44 €9.34
$5.55 SYP 675
88.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Al-Qusayr
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €508
$65.9 SYP 8,006
761.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.2K €13.6K
$1,761 SYP 214.0K
762.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Al-Qusayr
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.7 €81.1
$28.55 SYP 3,470
217.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.32 €35.19
$39.84 SYP 4,841
-1.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €94.1
$59.5 SYP 7,229
76.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 €115
$59.1 SYP 7,183
118.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Al-Qusayr
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$742 €664
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$648 €580
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,271 €1,138
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 €1,004
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,999 €3,578
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,281 €2,936
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Al-Qusayr
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 €1,114
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.44
14.25
-68.84%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Al-Qusayr: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$648
Al-Qusayr
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$316
Al-Qusayr
$169 46.7% $148
Eating Out
Athens
$272
Al-Qusayr
$174 35.8% $97
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Al-Qusayr
$195 24.8% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$164
Al-Qusayr
$84 48.6% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Al-Qusayr
$11 * 85.2% $64
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Al-Qusayr
$8.7 * 80.7% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $42 in Al-Qusayr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $169 per month, with Al-Qusayr cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇸🇾 Al-Qusayr
🕒 Local time
15:29 3:29 PM
16:29 4:29 PM
1 h ahead of Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
29,818
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.33 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Al-Qusayr 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Al-Qusayr

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 Al-Qusayr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Al-Qusayr cheaper than Athens?
Al-Qusayr is about 64% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,669 in Athens and $963 in Al-Qusayr to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do food prices compare in Athens and in Al-Qusayr?
Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Athens and in Al-Qusayr?
All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $642 in Al-Qusayr – Al-Qusayr is about 64% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Athens or in Al-Qusayr?
At $642 in Al-Qusayr versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al-Qusayr but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Qusayr the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Athens or in Al-Qusayr?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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