Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Astana: $1,130 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens, Greece
Astana, Kazakhstan
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,779
/mo nomad
Astana
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,130
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Astana

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

A single person spends $1,779 per month in Athens vs $1,130 in Astana, rent included.

  • Athens $1,779
  • Astana $1,130

A couple spends around $2,721 per month in Athens vs $1,808 in Astana, rent included.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Astana $1,808

A family of three spends $3,663 per month in Athens vs $2,485 in Astana, rent included.

  • Athens $3,663
  • Astana $2,485

Athens costs about 57% more than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Athens sits 32% above the global median, while Astana is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Astana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.99
$11.05 ₸4,982
52.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0 €58.8
$37.29 ₸16.8K
76.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.21 €9.98
$7.97 ₸3,591
40.65%
Cappuccino
$4.08 €3.64
$2.51 ₸1,130
62.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.47
$1.11 ₸498
149.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.48
$0.62 ₸280
-12.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.70 €5.07
$1.32 ₸593
331.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.26 €5.58
$2.17 ₸980
188.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Astana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 €1.64
$1.32 ₸596
39.39%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 €1.27
$0.65 ₸293
120.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.67 €2.38
$1.56 ₸704
71.15%
Eggs
$4.95 €4.41
$2.24 ₸1,011
120.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.09 €13.44
$12.54 ₸5,655
20.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.99 €9.79
$6.04 ₸2,723
81.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.77 €17.60
$10.76 ₸4,851
83.74%
Apples (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.76 ₸795
20.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$2.33 ₸1,050
-15.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 €1.18
$2.20 ₸992
-39.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$2.10 ₸946
2.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 €0.94
$0.71 ₸319
49.30%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 €1.02
$0.44 ₸197
161.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.49 ₸672
-27.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 €0.75
$0.95 ₸430
-10.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.46 €4.86
$2.35 ₸1,059
132.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.03 €8.93
$11.22 ₸5,058
-10.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 €1.82
$1.31 ₸592
55.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 €2.12
$2.34 ₸1,055
1.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Astana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.35 €1.20
$0.25 ₸113
440.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.52 €27.18
$16.64 ₸7,500
83.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 €3.39
$1.10 ₸495
246.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 €0.92
$1.13 ₸511
-8.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.49 €14.68
$5.94 ₸2,678
177.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.34 €2.09
$0.68 ₸307
244.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K €24.7K
$29.1K ₸13.1M
-4.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K €23.7K
$31.0K ₸14.0M
-14.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Astana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 €180
$67.2 ₸30.3K
201.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.81 €23.87
$9.93 ₸4,476
169.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.49 €27.14
$17.45 ₸7,867
74.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Astana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 €48.14
$55.1 ₸24.8K
-1.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.40 €24.40
$20.83 ₸9,388
31.54%
Cinema Ticket
$10.44 €9.30
$6.71 ₸3,023
55.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Astana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €505
$492 ₸221.9K
15.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.2K €13.5K
$21.5K ₸9.7M
-29.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Astana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.7 €80.7
$65.6 ₸29.6K
38.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.32 €35.01
$45.64 ₸20.6K
-13.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.7
$117 ₸52.5K
-9.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 €115
$130 ₸58.7K
-1.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Astana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$742 €661
$567 ₸255.5K
30.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$648 €577
$390 ₸175.9K
66.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,271 €1,132
$1,131 ₸509.8K
12.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 €999
$771 ₸347.7K
45.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,999 €3,561
$1,650 ₸744.1K
142.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,281 €2,921
$1,153 ₸520.0K
184.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Astana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 €1,109
$919 ₸414.3K
35.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.44
14.83
-70.06%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Astana: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$648
Astana
$390 39.8% $258
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$316
Astana
$231 26.9% $85
Eating Out
Athens
$272
Astana
$160 41% $111
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Astana
$95 63.6% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$164
Astana
$161 1.7% $2.8
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Astana
$68 8.6% $6.5
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Astana
$24 45.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $742 in Athens versus $567 in Astana. 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 35% 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 $37 in Astana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $231 – making Astana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇰🇿 Astana
🕒 Local time
06:03 6:03 AM
09:03 9:03 AM
3 h ahead of Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
814,400 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Astana 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Astana

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 Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Athens and in Astana compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,779 in Athens, $1,130 in Astana – Astana comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Athens compared to Astana?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,669 per month in Athens and $1,695 in Astana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Athens and Astana?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Astana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $567 there versus $742 in Athens.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Athens and Astana?
Kindergarten costs $568 per month in Athens and $492 in Astana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 37% more in Athens, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $2,000 go in Athens compared to Astana?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,779 in Athens and $1,130 in Astana, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Athens and Astana?
It depends on your priorities. Athens has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,130 in Astana to $1,779 in Athens. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Athens or Astana safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Athens and Astana?
If budget matters most, go with Astana. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Athens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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