Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Alges

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,009 in Alges, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Alges outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Alges
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Alges Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Alges

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Alges

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

A single person spends $1,775 per month in Athens vs $2,009 in Alges, rent included.

Athens $1,775
Alges $2,009

A couple spends around $2,721 per month in Athens vs $2,853 in Alges, rent included.

Athens $2,721
Alges $2,853

A family of three spends $3,666 per month in Athens vs $3,697 in Alges, rent included.

Athens $3,666
Alges $3,697

Athens is about 12% cheaper than Alges, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Athens and Alges sit above the global median – Athens by 31%, Alges by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$15.36 €13.66

8.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$54.7 €48.68

23.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$9.41 €8.37

18.38%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$2.64 €2.35

52.65%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$2.35 €2.09

17.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$2.25 €2.00

-75.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$3.39 €3.01

69.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$5.54 €4.93

-1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.04 €0.93

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.96 €1.75

-29.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.23 €1.98

25.56%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$3.42 €3.04

41.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$10.82 €9.63

39.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$7.10 €6.31

49.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$14.95 €13.30

23.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.85 €2.54

-22.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.37 €1.22

38.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.78 €1.59

-23.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.24 €2.00

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.56 €1.39

-30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.23 €1.98

-49.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.54 €1.37

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.78 €0.69

12.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$5.67 €5.05

-3.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$4.90 €4.35

106.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.16 €1.03

83.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$3.09 €2.75

-27.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.26 €2.01

-39.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$44.01 €39.15

-32.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$4.56 €4.06

-2.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$0.99 €0.88

3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$17.84 €15.87

-5.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.05 €1.83

9.76%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$33.8K €30.1K

-17.05%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$38.1K €33.9K

-25.94%

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

$205 €182

$137 €122

49.77%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$24.63 €21.91

8.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$56.3 €50.1

-46.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$44.85 €39.89

21.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$17.11 €15.22

51.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$7.20 €6.40

44.72%

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

$569 €506

$597 €531

-4.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$18.7K €16.6K

-32.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$76.8 €68.3

15.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$33.38 €29.69

21.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$90.7 €80.6

15.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$94.8 €84.3

28.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$1,240 €1,103

-40.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$1,055 €938

-37.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$2,047 €1,821

-36.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$1,559 €1,386

-26.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$2,991 €2,660

34.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$2,264 €2,014

52.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$1,229 €1,093

1.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.67

22.07%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Alges: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Alges

$1.1K 52.5% 61.1% $400

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Alges

$253 12.6% 18.6% $58

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Alges

$229 11.4% 14.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Alges

$218 10.8% 16.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Alges

$133 6.6% 16.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Alges

$59 3% 21.4% $16

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Alges

$63 3.1% 39.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $741 in Athens versus $1,240 in Alges. 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 1% higher in Athens, 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 $55.0 in Alges. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $253 – making Alges the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇵🇹 Alges

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

2 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

19,327

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Athens Alges 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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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 Alges: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,775 in Athens, $2,009 in Alges – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,662 per month in Athens and $3,013 in Alges. 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.

Kindergarten costs $569 per month in Athens and $597 in Alges. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Alges – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Athens, where all-in costs run around $1,775, than in Alges at $2,009. In Athens it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alges 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 $1,775 in Athens to $2,009 in Alges. 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, Alges makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.