Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,389 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
Learn more

Ankara Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,389

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Ankara

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

A single person spends $1,779 per month in Athens vs $1,389 in Ankara, rent included.

Athens $1,779
Ankara $1,389

A couple spends around $2,721 per month in Athens vs $2,087 in Ankara, rent included.

Athens $2,721
Ankara $2,087

A family of three spends $3,663 per month in Athens vs $2,785 in Ankara, rent included.

Athens $3,663
Ankara $2,785

Athens costs about 28% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Athens and Ankara sit above the global median – Athens by 32%, Ankara by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$10.10 ₺507

66.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$43.81 ₺2,197

50.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.98

$9.78 ₺490

14.62%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$4.12 ₺207

-0.97%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$1.68 ₺84.3

64.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.72 ₺36.05

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$5.02 ₺252

13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$6.60 ₺331

-5.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.16 ₺58.4

58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.96 ₺48.39

48.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$2.25 ₺113

18.67%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$2.66 ₺134

86.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.44

$10.09 ₺506

49.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$5.43 ₺272

102.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.60

$19.99 ₺1,003

-1.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.91 ₺95.8

10.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.18 ₺109

-9.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.26 ₺63.3

5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.65 ₺82.6

30.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.65 ₺32.69

63.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.55 ₺27.40

109.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.99 ₺49.75

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.66 ₺32.90

28.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$2.25 ₺113

142.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

$12.37 ₺620

-18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.12 ₺106

-3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$3.20 ₺161

-25.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.77 ₺38.86

75.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

$11.85 ₺595

157.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$1.28 ₺64.3

197.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.84 ₺42.02

22.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

$8.22 ₺412

100.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$1.39 ₺69.5

68.35%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$48.4K ₺2.4M

-42.69%

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$40.2K ₺2.0M

-33.90%

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

$202 €180

$99.9 ₺5,011

102.40%

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

$26.81 €23.87

$11.15 ₺559

140.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.14

$17.94 ₺900

69.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.14

$72.0 ₺3,611

-24.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

$14.80 ₺742

85.14%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$7.77 ₺390

34.36%

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

$568 €505

$1,084 ₺54.3K

-47.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$22.5K ₺1.1M

-32.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.7

$53.4 ₺2,677

69.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.01

$47.87 ₺2,401

-17.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$104 ₺5,229

0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$97.8 ₺4,905

31.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$748 ₺37.5K

-0.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €577

$557 ₺27.9K

16.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$1,142 ₺57.3K

11.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$902 ₺45.2K

24.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,561

$1,644 ₺82.5K

143.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,921

$1,142 ₺57.3K

187.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

$1,058 ₺53.1K

17.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

43.85

-89.87%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Ankara: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Ankara

$557 40.1% 14.1% $92

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Ankara

$251 18.1% 20.7% $65

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Ankara

$208 14.9% 23.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Ankara

$129 9.3% 50.3% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Ankara

$136 9.8% 16.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Ankara

$88 6.3% 16.8% $13

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Ankara

$20 1.5% 54.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $742 in Athens versus $748 in Ankara. 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 18% higher in Athens, 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 Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $251 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

07:44 7:44 AM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athens Ankara 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Ankara

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 Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens costs about 28% more than Ankara, 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 $2,083 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $742 in Athens and $748 in Ankara. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $568 per month in Athens and $1,084 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Athens, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,779 in Athens and $1,389 in Ankara. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,389 versus $1,779 in Athens. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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