Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Beruwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Beruwala: $507 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Beruwala
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$507
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Beruwala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $507 in Beruwala.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Beruwala $507

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $824 in Beruwala.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Beruwala $824

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $1,140 in Beruwala.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Beruwala $1,140

Living in Athens is roughly 250% more expensive than in Beruwala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Beruwala is 62% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Beruwala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$4.30 LKR 1,424
288.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$24.33 LKR 8,058
178.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$7.45 LKR 2,467
49.53%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$2.48 LKR 823
62.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$0.68 LKR 224
307.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$0.27 LKR 90.2
103.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$2.18 LKR 723
163.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$3.05 LKR 1,009
78.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Beruwala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.62 LKR 538
12.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$0.57 LKR 188
142.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$0.78 LKR 259
258.97%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$1.59 LKR 526
203.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$13.81 LKR 4,575
8.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$4.75 LKR 1,574
123.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$7.50 LKR 2,483
145.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$6.95 LKR 2,301
-68.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$0.83 LKR 276
128.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$4.49 LKR 1,489
-69.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.26 LKR 418
66.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.04 LKR 344
3.85%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.76 LKR 251
47.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.93 LKR 310
20.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.44 LKR 145
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$10.34 LKR 3,424
-47.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$13.77 LKR 4,562
-26.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.91 LKR 631
11.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.92 LKR 967
-22.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Beruwala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$0.40 LKR 133
1012.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$0.35 LKR 114
191.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$0.95 LKR 315
1681.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.40 LKR 464
60.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$36.4K LKR 12.0M
-22.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$40.1K LKR 13.3M
-29.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Beruwala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$54.9 LKR 18.2K
272.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$4.34 LKR 1,437
514.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$20.59 LKR 6,819
47.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Beruwala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$4.34 LKR 1,437
140.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Beruwala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$37.63 LKR 12.5K
1412.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$1,213 LKR 401.8K
937.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Beruwala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$18.51 LKR 6,132
378.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$16.53 LKR 5,474
144.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$78.3 LKR 25.9K
33.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$41.74 LKR 13.8K
190.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Beruwala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Beruwala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$149 LKR 49.3K
734.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
12.69
-64.70%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Beruwala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Beruwala
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Beruwala
$240 22.8% $71
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Beruwala
$107 60% $161
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Beruwala
$80 69.5% $182
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Beruwala
$70 56.4% $90
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Beruwala
$8.7 * 88.5% $67
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Beruwala
$2.1 * 95.3% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

Athens pays 734% 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 $24.00 in Beruwala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $240 per month, with Beruwala cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇱🇰 Beruwala
🕒 Local time
02:23 2:23 AM
04:53 4:53 AM
2 h 30 min ahead of Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
35,300
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Beruwala 6,640 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Beruwala

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 Beruwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Beruwala?
Beruwala wins on cost – living expenses run 250% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Beruwala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Beruwala?
Average pay runs 734% 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 do childcare costs compare in Athens and in Beruwala?
Childcare runs $569 in Athens versus $37.63 in Beruwala. 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 Beruwala?
Dining out is cheaper in Beruwala – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Athens or in Beruwala?
At $507 in Beruwala versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Beruwala but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Beruwala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Beruwala?
Both work as nomad bases, but Beruwala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $507 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Beruwala hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Beruwala?
Safety-wise, Athens and Beruwala 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 Beruwala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 250% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Athens vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?