Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Barakaldo

For one person, living is cheaper in Barakaldo: $1,618 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Barakaldo
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,618
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Barakaldo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,618 in Barakaldo.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Barakaldo $1,618

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,418 in Barakaldo.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Barakaldo $2,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,219 in Barakaldo.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Barakaldo $3,219

Living in Athens is roughly 10% more expensive than in Barakaldo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Barakaldo 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Barakaldo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$16.91 €15.04
-1.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$68.0 €60.5
-0.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$12.19 €10.85
-8.61%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$2.45 €2.18
64.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.99 €2.66
-7.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.97 €1.75
-72.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$3.44 €3.06
66.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$3.27 €2.91
66.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Barakaldo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.14 €1.01
59.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.61 €1.43
-14.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$1.38 €1.23
102.90%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$3.23 €2.88
49.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$12.22 €10.87
23.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$7.98 €7.10
33.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$12.98 €11.55
41.99%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.77 €2.47
-20.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.56 €1.39
21.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.91 €1.70
-28.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.29 €2.04
-8.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.54 €1.37
-29.87%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.31 €2.05
-51.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.26 €1.12
-11.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.85 €0.75
3.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$6.51 €5.79
-15.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$7.74 €6.88
30.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.50 €1.33
42.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.98 €1.76
13.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Barakaldo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.65 €1.47
-17.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$32.27 €28.71
-7.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$5.54 €4.93
-19.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.04 €0.92
-1.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$29.55 €26.28
-42.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.83 €1.62
22.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$34.8K €30.9K
-19.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$29.1K €25.9K
-3.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Barakaldo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$141 €125
45.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$18.30 €16.28
45.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$25.36 €22.56
19.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Barakaldo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$45.61 €40.57
19.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$16.02 €14.25
61.55%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$9.95 €8.85
4.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Barakaldo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$491 €436
16.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$10.2K €9,111
22.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Barakaldo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$90.3 €80.4
-1.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$31.23 €27.78
29.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$69.3 €61.6
51.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$119 €106
1.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Barakaldo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$914 €813
-18.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$679 €604
-3.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$1,364 €1,213
-4.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,022 €909
12.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$3,321 €2,954
20.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$2,166 €1,927
59.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Barakaldo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$1,796 €1,598
-30.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
2.98
50.34%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Barakaldo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Barakaldo
$679 3.7% $25
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Barakaldo
$255 17.8% $55
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Barakaldo
$245 8.7% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Barakaldo
$185 29.5% $77
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Barakaldo
$140 12.8% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Barakaldo
$66 13% $9.8
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Barakaldo
$50 10.5% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $914 in Barakaldo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barakaldo pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $68.0 in Barakaldo. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $255, with Barakaldo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇪🇸 Barakaldo
🕒 Local time
17:09 5:09 PM
16:09 4:09 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
101,229
💱 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 Barakaldo 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Barakaldo

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 Barakaldo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Barakaldo?
Barakaldo wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barakaldo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Barakaldo?
On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Barakaldo. 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 Barakaldo?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $914 in Barakaldo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Barakaldo?
Dining out is cheaper in Barakaldo – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $68.0 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 Barakaldo?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,618 in Barakaldo – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Athens or in Barakaldo?
At $1,618 in Barakaldo versus $1,775 in Athens, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barakaldo but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Barakaldo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Barakaldo?
Both work as nomad bases, but Barakaldo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,618 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barakaldo hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Barakaldo?
Safety-wise, Athens and Barakaldo 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 Barakaldo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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