Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Biel

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,826 in Biel, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Biel
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Biel Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Biel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,826

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Biel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $2,826 in Biel.

Athens $1,775
Biel $2,826

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $4,452 in Biel.

Athens $2,721
Biel $4,452

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $6,078 in Biel.

Athens $3,666
Biel $6,078

Living in Athens costs roughly 37% less than in Biel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Biel 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$30.08 CHF 24.77

-44.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$108 CHF 88.9

-37.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$18.28 CHF 15.06

-39.06%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$6.07 CHF 5.00

-33.61%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$5.17 CHF 4.26

-46.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$4.13 CHF 3.40

-86.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$7.77 CHF 6.40

-26.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$4.91 CHF 4.04

11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.09 CHF 1.72

-12.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-63.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$3.30 CHF 2.72

-15.15%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$7.19 CHF 5.92

-32.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$21.93 CHF 18.06

-31.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$27.12 CHF 22.34

-60.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$38.83 CHF 31.98

-52.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.06 CHF 2.52

-28.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-6.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.46 CHF 2.02

-44.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.10 CHF 2.55

-32.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.47 CHF 1.21

-26.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.81 CHF 1.49

-38.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.05 CHF 0.87

-16.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$10.99 CHF 9.05

-50.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$14.90 CHF 12.28

-32.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$0.92 CHF 0.76

131.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.77 CHF 1.46

27.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$4.91 CHF 4.04

-72.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$93.3 CHF 76.9

-67.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$7.84 CHF 6.46

-43.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-77.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$83.0 CHF 68.4

-79.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.22 CHF 1.83

1.35%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.0K €24.9K

$41.7K CHF 34.4K

-32.81%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.2K €25.1K

$34.8K CHF 28.7K

-18.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$205 €182

$137 CHF 113

48.88%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.65 €23.71

$35.74 CHF 29.43

-25.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$50.2 CHF 41.30

-39.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$77.2 CHF 63.6

-29.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$21.92 CHF 18.05

-52.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$569 €506

$2,620 CHF 2,158

-78.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$37.2K CHF 30.6K

-66.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$108 CHF 89.2

-18.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$40.74 CHF 33.56

-0.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$136 CHF 112

-22.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$219 CHF 180

-44.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$1,240 CHF 1,022

-40.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$1,120 CHF 922

-41.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$2,275 CHF 1,874

-42.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$2,035 CHF 1,676

-43.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$9,683 CHF 7,975

-58.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$7,818 CHF 6,439

-55.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$5,516 CHF 4,543

-77.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

1.68

166.67%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Biel: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Biel

$1.1K 39.6% 71% $465

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Biel

$538 19% 73.4% $228

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Biel

$454 16.1% 69.4% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Biel

$223 7.9% 14.6% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Biel

$227 8% 41.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Biel

$121 4.3% 60.7% $46

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Biel

$143 5.1% 220% $99

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $1,240 in Biel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biel pays 344% 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 $108 in Biel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $538 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇨🇭 Biel

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

56,378

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Biel 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Biel

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 Biel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Biel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 344% lower in Biel. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $1,240 in Biel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $108 in Biel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $2,826 in Biel – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,826 in Biel, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Biel. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Biel are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Biel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.