Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Athlone

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,542 in Athlone, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Athlone
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,542
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Athlone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $2,542 in Athlone.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Athlone $2,542

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $3,749 in Athlone.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Athlone $3,749

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $4,956 in Athlone.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Athlone $4,956

Living in Athens costs roughly 30% less than in Athlone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Athlone 88% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Athlone
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$22.37 €19.90
-25.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$91.0 €81.0
-25.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$12.63 €11.23
-11.80%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$4.32 €3.85
-6.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.92 €2.60
-5.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.84 €1.64
-70.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$7.41 €6.59
-22.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$6.55 €5.82
-16.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Athlone
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.46 €1.30
24.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.26 €1.12
9.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$1.66 €1.48
68.67%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$3.91 €3.48
23.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$10.73 €9.55
40.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$11.27 €10.02
-5.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$11.85 €10.54
55.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.55 €2.27
-13.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.56 €1.39
21.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.41 €2.14
-43.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.85 €2.53
-26.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$2.29 €2.03
-52.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.81 €1.61
-38.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.44 €1.28
-22.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.90 €1.69
-53.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$17.88 €15.90
-69.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$11.10 €9.88
-8.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$3.44 €3.06
-38.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$3.58 €3.18
-37.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Athlone
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$2.06 €1.83
-33.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$5.08 €4.52
-12.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.49 €1.32
-31.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$27.77 €24.70
-39.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.03 €1.80
10.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$39.6K €35.2K
-29.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$36.8K €32.7K
-23.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Athlone
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$241 €214
-15.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$21.86 €19.45
21.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$49.22 €43.78
-38.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Athlone
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$58.5 €52.1
-6.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$34.69 €30.85
-25.40%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$10.95 €9.74
-4.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Athlone
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$1,001 €891
-43.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$5,365 €4,772
134.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Athlone
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$92.9 €82.6
-4.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$40.88 €36.36
-1.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$83.6 €74.4
25.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$77.7 €69.1
56.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Athlone
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$1,468 €1,306
-49.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$1,353 €1,203
-51.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$2,529 €2,249
-48.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$2,254 €2,005
-49.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$3,294 €2,930
21.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$3,340 €2,971
3.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Athlone
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$3,153 €2,805
-60.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.73
20.11%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Athlone: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Athlone
$1.4K 107% $698
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Athlone
$305 1.7% $5.3
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Athlone
$338 26.1% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Athlone
$312 19.2% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Athlone
$133 17% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Athlone
$80 6.8% $5.1
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Athlone
$21 * 53.8% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $1,468 in Athlone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athlone pays 154% 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: $68.0 in Athens vs $91.0 in Athlone. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $305, with Athlone cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇮🇪 Athlone
🕒 Local time
18:37 6:37 PM
16:37 4:37 PM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
21,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Athlone 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Athlone

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 Athlone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Athlone?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Athlone. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Athlone?
On paper, salaries run 154% lower in Athlone. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Athlone?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $1,468 in Athlone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Athens and in Athlone?
Childcare runs $569 in Athens versus $1,001 in Athlone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Athlone?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $91.0 in Athlone. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Athlone?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,542 in Athlone, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Athlone. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Athlone?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Athlone?
Safety-wise, Athens and Athlone 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 more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Athlone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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