Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Alba

For one person, living is cheaper in Alba: $1,630 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Athens outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Alba
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Alba Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Alba

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Alba

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

A single person spends $1,775 per month in Athens vs $1,630 in Alba, rent included.

Athens $1,775
Alba $1,630

A couple spends around $2,721 per month in Athens vs $2,551 in Alba, rent included.

Athens $2,721
Alba $2,551

A family of three spends $3,666 per month in Athens vs $3,473 in Alba, rent included.

Athens $3,666
Alba $3,473

Athens costs about 9% more than Alba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Athens and Alba sit above the global median – Athens by 31%, Alba by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$21.91 €19.49

-23.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$88.0 €78.3

-22.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$13.36 €11.89

-16.62%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$2.13 €1.90

89.20%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$3.68 €3.27

-24.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.82 €1.62

-69.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$5.55 €4.94

3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$6.83 €6.08

-20.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.68 €1.49

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$3.32 €2.95

-58.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$3.49 €3.11

-19.77%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$5.08 €4.51

-4.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$23.19 €20.63

-35.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$14.68 €13.05

-27.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$22.94 €20.40

-19.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.09 €2.75

-28.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.32 €2.06

-18.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$3.40 €3.02

-59.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$4.16 €3.70

-49.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$2.32 €2.06

-53.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.02 €1.79

-44.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.73 €1.54

-35.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.61 €0.55

44.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$6.89 €6.13

-20.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$9.54 €8.48

6.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.96 €1.75

8.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.43 €2.16

-7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$8.00 €7.11

-44.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$2.20 €1.95

-53.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$63.8 €56.8

-73.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.14 €1.90

5.14%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$36.7K €32.6K

-23.58%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$36.7K €32.6K

-23.04%

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

$205 €182

$249 €221

-17.78%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$8.00 €7.12

233.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$29.33 €26.09

3.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$12.37 €11.00

-15.76%

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

$569 €506

$855 €761

-33.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$19.1K €17.0K

-33.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$99.7 €88.7

-11.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$49.95 €44.43

-19.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$115 €102

-8.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$164 €146

-26.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$535 €476

38.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$384 €342

70.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$732 €651

77.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$616 €548

86.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$2,916 €2,594

37.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$2,652 €2,359

-53.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.18

40.88%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Alba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Alba

$384 23.6% 41.3% $271

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Alba

$419 25.7% 34.9% $108

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Alba

$304 18.7% 13.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Alba

$286 17.6% 9.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Alba

$193 11.8% 20.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Alba

$25 * 1.5% 67.2% $51

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Alba

$19 * 1.2% 57.7% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $741 in Athens versus $535 in Alba. 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 113% higher in Alba, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Athens versus $88.0 in Alba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $419 – making Athens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇮🇹 Alba

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

07:50 7:50 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

29,910

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Athens Alba 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Alba

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 Alba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Athens is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,662 per month in Athens and $2,445 in Alba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alba, 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 $68.0 in Athens and $88.0 in Alba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 35% cheaper in Athens – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Alba, where all-in costs run around $1,630, than in Athens at $1,775. In Alba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Athens it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Alba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Athens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.