Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Antwerp

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $2,197 in Antwerp, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Antwerp

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $2,197 in Antwerp.

Athens $1,806
Antwerp $2,197

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $3,371 in Antwerp.

Athens $2,731
Antwerp $3,371

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $4,545 in Antwerp.

Athens $3,656
Antwerp $4,545

Living in Athens costs roughly 18% less than in Antwerp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 35% above, Antwerp 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.87

$23.46 €20.93

-28.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

$106 €94.3

-37.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.87

$13.20 €11.78

-16.21%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$4.39 €3.92

-5.69%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$3.57 €3.19

-21.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$3.63 €3.24

-84.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

$6.23 €5.56

-12.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.36 €1.21

44.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.79 €2.49

-49.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$2.19 €1.95

29.22%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.50

$3.69 €3.30

36.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.70

$17.02 €15.19

-9.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.23

$12.20 €10.89

-15.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.93

$22.96 €20.49

-17.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.04 €2.71

-28.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.36 €2.11

-19.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.72 €2.42

-49.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.38 €3.02

-34.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$2.46 €2.19

-55.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$1.97 €1.76

-42.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.49 €1.33

-26.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.06 €0.94

-21.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$12.81 €11.43

-56.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.09

$8.89 €7.93

14.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.76 €1.57

23.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

$2.05 €1.83

19.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$3.39 €3.03

-59.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.55

$55.6 €49.60

-44.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$5.49 €4.90

-20.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$2.68 €2.39

-61.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

$44.04 €39.30

-61.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.08 €1.85

11.06%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$35.3K €31.5K

-20.71%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$34.0K €30.4K

-17.71%

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

$210 €187

$206 €183

2.05%

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

$26.70 €23.83

$21.64 €19.31

23.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

$47.82 €42.68

-36.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.72

$36.87 €32.90

48.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

$27.20 €24.27

-4.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

$15.45 €13.79

-30.23%

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

$575 €513

$1,617 €1,443

-64.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

$33.7K €30.1K

-61.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$112 €99.8

-16.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

$51.1 €45.59

-20.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

$103 €92.1

0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$170 €152

-24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$1,033 €922

-26.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$857 €765

-23.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,154

$1,603 €1,431

-19.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,038

$1,348 €1,203

-13.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

$4,499 €4,015

-10.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

$3,040 €2,713

13.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,110

$3,087 €2,755

-59.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.46

29.48%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Antwerp

$857 39% 31.4% $205

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Antwerp

$364 16.6% 15.6% $49

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Antwerp

$349 15.9% 30% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Antwerp

$275 12.5% 3.2% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Antwerp

$196 8.9% 19.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Antwerp

$68 3.1% 11% $8.4

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Antwerp

$88 4% 91.6% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $1,033 in Antwerp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 148% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Athens vs $106 in Antwerp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $364 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🕒 Local time

10:10 10:10 AM

09:10 9:10 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

525,935

💱 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 Antwerp 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
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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 Antwerp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens and Antwerp differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,806 vs $2,197 including rent). Athens is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 148% lower in Antwerp. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Athens versus $1,033 in Antwerp. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Athens runs roughly 80% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $575 in Athens versus $1,617 in Antwerp. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,806 in Athens versus $2,197 in Antwerp, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Athens and Antwerp are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.