Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $3,504 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Amsterdam

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

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Athens vs $3,504 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Athens $1,806
Amsterdam $3,504

A couple spends around $2,731 per month in Athens vs $5,010 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Athens $2,731
Amsterdam $5,010

A family of three spends $3,656 per month in Athens vs $6,516 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Athens $3,656
Amsterdam $6,516

Athens is about 48% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Athens and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Athens by 35%, Amsterdam by 161%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.87

$22.37 €19.96

-25.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

$91.0 €81.2

-27.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.87

$15.36 €13.71

-27.99%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$4.60 €4.11

-10.00%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$3.74 €3.33

-25.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$3.03 €2.70

-81.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$7.41 €6.62

-23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

$5.68 €5.07

-3.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.52 €1.36

28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.38 €2.13

-40.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$2.54 €2.26

11.42%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.50

$5.24 €4.68

-3.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.70

$16.95 €15.13

-9.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.23

$13.41 €11.97

-22.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.93

$23.00 €20.53

-17.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.75 €2.45

-21.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.83 €2.52

-32.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.63 €2.35

-47.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.87 €3.45

-43.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$2.39 €2.13

-53.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$1.71 €1.53

-33.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.43 €1.28

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.78 €1.59

-53.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$14.48 €12.92

-61.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.09

$9.21 €8.22

10.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.78 €1.59

22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

$2.53 €2.26

-3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$3.72 €3.32

-62.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.55

$116 €104

-73.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$4.70 €4.19

-7.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$3.40 €3.04

-69.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

$38.74 €34.57

-55.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.61 €2.33

-11.49%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$41.7K €37.2K

-32.85%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$38.2K €34.1K

-26.58%

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

$210 €187

$298 €266

-29.58%

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

$26.70 €23.83

$22.98 €20.51

16.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

$53.0 €47.26

-43.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.72

$60.4 €53.9

-9.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

$35.40 €31.59

-26.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

$16.86 €15.05

-36.06%

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

$575 €513

$2,764 €2,466

-79.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

$17.1K €15.3K

-23.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$93.3 €83.2

-0.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

$41.20 €36.77

-1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

$100 €89.3

4.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$133 €119

-3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$2,605 €2,325

-70.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$1,927 €1,720

-66.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,154

$3,903 €3,483

-66.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,038

$3,115 €2,780

-62.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

$10.3K €9,201

-61.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

$6,540 €5,836

-47.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,110

$4,524 €4,038

-72.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.27

37.00%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Amsterdam

$1.9K 55.8% 195% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Amsterdam

$388 11.2% 23.2% $73

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Amsterdam

$356 10.3% 32.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Amsterdam

$374 10.8% 40.2% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Amsterdam

$165 4.8% 0.4% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Amsterdam

$94 2.7% 23.6% $18

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Amsterdam

$153 4.4% 233% $107

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Athens versus $2,605 in Amsterdam. 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 264% higher in Amsterdam, 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 $66.0 in Athens versus $91.0 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $388 – making Athens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Amsterdam 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Amsterdam

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 Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,709 per month in Athens and $5,255 in Amsterdam. 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.

Public transport costs about 277% less in Athens. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $575 per month in Athens and $2,764 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Athens, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Amsterdam at $3,504. In Athens it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Athens – 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 Athens. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.