For one person, living is cheaper in Beja: $621 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Beja actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $621 in Beja.
Athens $1,775
Beja $621
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,066 in Beja.
Athens $2,721
Beja $1,066
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $1,512 in Beja.
Athens $3,666
Beja $1,512
🌍
Living in Athens is roughly 186% more expensive than in Beja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Beja is 54% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Beja
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69€14.84
$3.91TND 11.72
326.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8€60.3
$16.43TND 49.19
312.60%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.14€9.91
$4.65TND 13.93
139.57%
Cappuccino
$4.03€3.58
$0.60TND 1.81
571.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77€2.46
$0.52TND 1.54
432.69%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$0.25TND 0.74
120.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.74€5.10
$1.19TND 3.56
382.35%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45€4.85
$1.70TND 5.08
220.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Beja
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.82€1.62
$0.43TND 1.29
323.26%
White Bread(500g)
$1.38€1.23
$0.14TND 0.42
885.71%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.80€2.49
$1.63TND 4.87
71.78%
Eggs
$4.83€4.30
$1.43TND 4.29
237.76%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.05€13.39
$8.04TND 24.07
87.19%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.63€9.45
$6.44TND 19.28
65.06%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.43€16.39
$13.25TND 39.69
39.09%
Apples(1kg)
$2.20€1.96
$1.65TND 4.94
33.33%
Banana(1kg)
$1.90€1.69
$4.59TND 13.73
-58.61%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.37€1.22
$1.07TND 3.21
28.04%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.10€1.87
$0.89TND 2.66
135.96%
Potato(1kg)
$1.08€0.96
$0.59TND 1.78
83.05%
Onion(1kg)
$1.12€1.00
$0.59TND 1.77
89.83%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.12€1.00
$0.48TND 1.42
133.33%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88€0.79
$0.30TND 0.91
193.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48€4.88
$3.29TND 9.86
66.57%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.13€9.01
$5.05TND 15.12
100.59%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13€1.89
$1.22TND 3.65
74.59%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25€2.00
$1.35TND 4.06
66.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Beja
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.36€1.21
$0.42TND 1.25
223.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$29.89€26.59
$15.10TND 45.21
97.95%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.45€3.96
$0.31TND 0.94
1335.48%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.02€0.90
$0.39TND 1.16
161.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.92€15.05
$4.90TND 14.68
245.31%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.25€2.00
$0.74TND 2.22
204.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K€24.9K
$39.1KTND 117.1K
-28.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K€25.1K
$35.9KTND 107.4K
-21.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Beja
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$205€182
$44.26TND 133
362.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65€23.71
$10.38TND 31.09
156.74%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38€27.02
$19.74TND 59.1
53.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Beja
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$54.5€48.47
$19.68TND 59.0
176.88%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88€23.02
$23.25TND 69.6
11.31%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42€9.27
$3.39TND 10.14
207.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Beja
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$569€506
$60.2TND 180
846.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.6K€11.2K
$1,189TND 3,560
958.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Beja
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7€78.9
$55.8TND 167
58.97%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46€35.99
$65.1TND 195
-37.86%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$105€93.3
$111TND 333
-5.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121€108
$138TND 414
-12.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Beja
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$741€659
$167TND 501
343.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$655€582
$83.4TND 250
684.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,300€1,156
$267TND 801
385.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,148€1,021
$287TND 858
300.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,014€3,570
$396TND 1,185
914.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,460€3,078
$105TND 314
3198.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Beja
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,242€1,105
$337TND 1,010
268.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.48
11
-59.27%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026
Last update for Beja: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655 36.9%
Beja
$83 13.4% ↓ 87.3%$571
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310 17.5%
Beja
$186 30% ↓ 40.1%$125
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$268 15.1%
Beja
$65 10.5% ↓ 75.8%$203
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262 14.7%
Beja
$74 12% ↓ 71.6%$187
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160 9%
Beja
$167 26.8% ↑ 4.2%$6.7
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75 4.2%
Beja
$26 4.3% ↓ 64.9%$49
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$45 2.5%
Beja
$19 3.1% ↓ 57.6%$26
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$1.1K 31.3%
Beja
$287 19% ↓ 75%$861
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$726 19.8%
Beja
$444 29.4% ↓ 38.8%$282
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$879 24%
Beja
$211 14% ↓ 76%$668
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$288 7.9%
Beja
$85 5.6% ↓ 70.6%$204
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$355 9.7%
Beja
$370 24.5% ↑ 4.2%$15
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$177 4.8%
Beja
$76 5% ↓ 56.9%$100
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$92 2.5%
Beja
$39 2.6% ↓ 58%$54
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $167 in Beja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Athens pays 268% 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 $16.00 in Beja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $186 per month, with Beja cheaper across the board.
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 Beja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Beja?
Beja wins on cost – living expenses run 186% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Beja the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Beja?
Average pay runs 268% 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 Beja?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $167 in Beja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Beja?
Dining out is cheaper in Beja – a meal for two runs $16.00 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 Beja?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $621 in Beja – a 186% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Beja?
At $621 in Beja versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Beja but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Beja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Beja?
Both work as nomad bases, but Beja delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $621 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Beja hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Beja?
Safety-wise, Athens and Beja 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 Beja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.