Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Arugam Bay

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Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Arugam Bay

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.92

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.3

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.91

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.71

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

$2.80 €2.51

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.89

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.54

Eggs

$5.04 €4.51

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.75

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.27

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €17.00

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.24

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.97

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.99

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €5.01

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.13

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.92

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

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

$28.0K €25.1K

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

$28.0K €25.1K

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

$210 €188

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

$26.70 €23.92

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.99

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.91

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.32

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.66

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

$575 €515

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.44

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €93.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €677

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €584

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,159

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,042

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,591

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,092

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,114

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Arugam Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Arugam Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Arugam Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Arugam Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Arugam Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Arugam Bay

–

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇱🇰 Arugam Bay

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

13:19 1:19 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

5,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Arugam Bay 6,770 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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Athens
Arugam Bay

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 Arugam Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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