Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Barreiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Barreiro: $1,672 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Athens despite lower rent and utilities.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Barreiro
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,672
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Barreiro

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,672 in Barreiro.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Barreiro $1,672

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,346 in Barreiro.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Barreiro $2,346

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,019 in Barreiro.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Barreiro $3,019

Living in Athens is roughly 6% more expensive than in Barreiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Barreiro 24% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Barreiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$15.77 €14.03
5.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$44.47 €39.56
52.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$9.68 €8.61
15.08%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$2.46 €2.19
63.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.14 €1.91
29.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$2.18 €1.94
-74.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$3.32 €2.96
72.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$3.27 €2.91
66.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Barreiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.04 €0.93
75.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.46 €1.30
-5.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$1.63 €1.45
71.78%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$3.30 €2.93
46.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$9.12 €8.11
65.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$7.99 €7.11
33.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$15.17 €13.49
21.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.76 €2.46
-20.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.32 €1.17
43.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.04 €1.82
-32.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.48 €1.31
41.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.61 €1.43
-32.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.64 €1.46
-31.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.69 €1.50
-33.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.68 €0.60
29.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$5.78 €5.14
-5.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$6.19 €5.50
63.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.26 €1.12
69.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.10 €0.98
104.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Barreiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.42 €1.27
-4.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$44.31 €39.41
-32.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$2.29 €2.03
94.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$0.76 €0.68
34.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$17.02 €15.14
-0.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.04 €1.82
10.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$34.2K €30.4K
-17.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$37.7K €33.5K
-25.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Barreiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$110 €97.7
86.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$21.19 €18.85
25.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$35.54 €31.62
-14.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Barreiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$36.97 €32.89
47.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$13.55 €12.05
91.00%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$8.88 €7.90
17.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Barreiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$604 €538
-5.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$11.1K €9,914
12.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Barreiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$77.7 €69.1
14.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$37.19 €33.08
8.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$84.9 €75.5
23.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$105 €93.2
15.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Barreiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$958 €852
-22.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$794 €706
-17.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$1,473 €1,311
-11.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,044 €929
9.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$3,877 €3,449
3.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$2,745 €2,442
26.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Barreiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$910 €810
36.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.67
22.07%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Barreiro: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Barreiro
$794 21.3% $139
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Barreiro
$239 23.1% $72
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Barreiro
$225 16% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Barreiro
$167 36.3% $95
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Barreiro
$137 14.3% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Barreiro
$55 27.3% $21
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Barreiro
$56 25% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $958 in Barreiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 36% 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 $44.00 in Barreiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $239 per month, with Barreiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇵🇹 Barreiro
🕒 Local time
17:28 5:28 PM
15:28 3:28 PM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
78,359
💱 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 Barreiro 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Barreiro

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 Barreiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Barreiro?
Barreiro wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barreiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Barreiro?
Average pay runs 36% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Barreiro?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $958 in Barreiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Barreiro?
Dining out is cheaper in Barreiro – a meal for two runs $44.00 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 Barreiro?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,672 in Barreiro – a 6% 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 Barreiro?
At $1,672 in Barreiro versus $1,775 in Athens, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barreiro but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Barreiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Barreiro?
Both work as nomad bases, but Barreiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,672 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barreiro hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Barreiro?
Safety-wise, Athens and Barreiro 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 Barreiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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