Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Arona

For one person, living is cheaper in Arona: $1,638 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Arona
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,638
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Arona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,638 in Arona.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Arona $1,638

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,516 in Arona.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Arona $2,516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,394 in Arona.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Arona $3,394

Living in Athens is roughly 8% more expensive than in Arona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Arona 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Arona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$16.44 €14.62
1.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$78.6 €69.9
-13.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$8.70 €7.74
28.05%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$1.63 €1.45
147.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.96 €2.63
-6.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.14 €1.02
-51.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$3.83 €3.41
49.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$5.73 €5.10
-4.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Arona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.38 €1.23
31.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.17 €1.93
-36.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$4.17 €3.71
-32.85%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$2.98 €2.65
62.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$15.34 €13.65
-1.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$14.32 €12.74
-25.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$14.89 €13.24
23.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.73 €2.43
-19.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.66 €1.48
14.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.13 €2.78
-56.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.32 €2.07
-9.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.85 €1.64
-41.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.74 €1.55
-35.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.63 €1.45
-31.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.65 €0.57
35.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$6.66 €5.92
-17.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$4.49 €3.99
125.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$0.93 €0.83
129.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.69 €1.50
33.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Arona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.77 €1.58
-23.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$36.08 €32.09
-17.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$5.49 €4.88
-18.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.61 €1.43
-36.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$30.45 €27.09
-44.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.02 €1.79
11.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$36.2K €32.2K
-22.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$35.8K €31.8K
-21.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Arona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$197 €175
3.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$11.48 €10.22
132.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$27.12 €24.13
12.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Arona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$47.80 €42.52
14.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$22.72 €20.21
13.91%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$13.18 €11.72
-20.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Arona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$872 €776
-34.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$18.9K €16.8K
-33.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Arona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$88.0 €78.3
0.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$37.51 €33.37
7.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$107 €95.3
-2.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$129 €115
-6.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Arona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$644 €573
14.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$570 €507
14.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$999 €889
30.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$904 €805
26.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$2,772 €2,466
44.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$1,968 €1,751
75.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Arona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.65
22.74%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Arona: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Arona
$570 12.9% $84
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Arona
$314 1.3% $4.1
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Arona
$224 16.4% $44
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Arona
$235 10% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Arona
$163 1.8% $2.9
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Arona
$74 1.6% $1.2
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Arona
$57 26.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $644 in Arona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $79.0 in Arona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $314 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇮🇹 Arona
🕒 Local time
16:59 4:59 PM
15:59 3:59 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
14,310
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Arona 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Arona

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 Arona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Arona cheaper than Athens?
Arona is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and utilities. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,662 in Athens and $2,457 in Arona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Athens and Arona?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $644 in Arona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $569 in Athens versus $872 in Arona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Athens and in Arona?
Shoppers in Athens pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Athens or in Arona?
At $1,638 in Arona versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arona but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Arona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Athens or Arona more family-friendly?
For families, Arona is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Athens, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Athens or Arona?
Safety-wise, Athens and Arona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Arona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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