Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and the Azores

For one person, living is cheaper in the Azores: $1,594 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Azores
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,594
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in the Azores

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $1,594 in the Azores.

  • Athens $1,806
  • Azores $1,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $2,371 in the Azores.

  • Athens $2,731
  • Azores $2,371

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $3,148 in the Azores.

  • Athens $3,656
  • Azores $3,148

Living in Athens is roughly 13% more expensive than in the Azores, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 35% above, Azores 19% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Azores
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.87
$11.37 €10.15
46.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €59.1
$47.10 €42.03
40.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.06 €9.87
$9.20 €8.21
20.22%
Cappuccino
$4.14 €3.69
$2.16 €1.93
91.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.50
$1.92 €1.71
45.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$1.37 €1.22
-58.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.03
$2.26 €2.02
149.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.87
$3.46 €3.09
57.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Azores
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.06 €0.94
84.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.59 €1.42
-11.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 €2.53
$1.61 €1.44
75.78%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.50
$3.12 €2.79
61.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.35 €13.70
$11.26 €10.05
36.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.34 €9.23
$7.89 €7.04
31.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.97 €16.93
$14.31 €12.77
32.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$2.35 €2.10
-7.66%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.42 €1.26
34.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.85 €1.65
-25.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.48 €2.21
-11.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.53 €1.36
-28.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.00
$1.83 €1.64
-38.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.63 €1.45
-32.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$0.79 €0.71
5.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.60 €4.99
$6.21 €5.55
-9.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 €9.09
$5.10 €4.55
99.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.24 €1.11
75.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.19
$2.37 €2.12
3.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Azores
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.28 €2.04
-39.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.87 €27.55
$41.69 €37.20
-25.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.90
$4.09 €3.65
6.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$0.82 €0.73
26.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.11 €15.27
$17.02 €15.19
0.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.99 €1.77
16.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$34.5K €30.8K
-18.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$40.1K €35.7K
-30.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Azores
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €187
$135 €120
55.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.70 €23.83
$21.16 €18.89
26.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.13 €26.89
$42.52 €37.94
-29.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Azores
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.6 €48.72
$44.82 €40.00
21.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.03 €23.23
$17.33 €15.46
50.20%
Cinema Ticket
$10.78 €9.62
$8.36 €7.46
28.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Azores
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$575 €513
$462 €412
24.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K €11.7K
$8,431 €7,524
55.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Azores
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 €83.1
$73.2 €65.3
27.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.68 €36.30
$38.09 €33.99
6.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.9
$92.0 €82.1
13.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$93.7 €83.6
36.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Azores
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €674
$918 €819
-17.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €582
$744 €664
-12.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,154
$1,498 €1,337
-13.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,163 €1,038
$1,143 €1,020
1.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,008 €3,577
$3,018 €2,693
32.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,452 €3,081
$2,307 €2,059
49.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Azores
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,243 €1,110
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5.01
-10.58%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for the Azores: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$652
Azores
$744 14% $92
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$315
Azores
$247 21.5% $68
Eating Out
Athens
$269
Azores
$176 34.6% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$267
Azores
$198 25.6% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$165
Azores
$134 18.9% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$76
Azores
$62 19.2% $15
Getting Around
Athens
$46
Azores
$59 28.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $918 in the Azores. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Athens vs $47.00 in the Azores for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $247 per month, with the Azores cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇵🇹 Azores
🕒 Local time
14:46 2:46 PM
11:46 11:46 AM
3 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
236,657
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Azores 4,290 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Azores

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 Azores: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Azores?
Azores wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Azores the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Athens and in the Azores?
You'd need roughly $2,709 in Athens and $2,391 in the Azores 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to the Azores?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Athens versus $918 in the Azores. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in the Azores?
Dining out is cheaper in the Azores – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $66.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Athens compared to the Azores?
All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $1,594 in the Azores – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Athens or in the Azores?
At $1,594 in the Azores versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in the Azores but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Azores the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Azores?
Both work as nomad bases, but Azores delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,594 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Azores hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to the Azores?
Safety-wise, Athens and Azores 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 Azores gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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