Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Bourges

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $1,937 in Bourges, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Bourges despite lower rent and utilities.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Bourges
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Bourges Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Bourges

🇫🇷 France

$1,937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Bourges

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,937 in Bourges.

Athens $1,775
Bourges $1,937

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $3,009 in Bourges.

Athens $2,721
Bourges $3,009

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $4,081 in Bourges.

Athens $3,666
Bourges $4,081

Living in Athens costs roughly 8% less than in Bourges, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Bourges 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$16.67 €14.83

0.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$80.1 €71.2

-15.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$13.27 €11.81

-16.05%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$5.09 €4.52

-20.83%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$4.60 €4.09

-39.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$2.82 €2.51

-80.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$7.88 €7.01

-27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$6.90 €6.13

-21.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.14 €1.01

59.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.47 €2.20

-44.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.20 €1.95

27.27%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$4.39 €3.91

10.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$22.00 €19.57

-31.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$13.69 €12.17

-22.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$22.35 €19.88

-17.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.32 €2.95

-33.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.22 €1.98

-14.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.89 €2.57

-52.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$4.31 €3.83

-51.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.99 €1.77

-45.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.48 €2.21

-54.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.91 €1.69

-41.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$14.52 €12.92

-62.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$8.83 €7.85

14.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.67 €2.38

-20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$3.50 €3.11

-35.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.87 €1.66

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$48.81 €43.41

-38.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$9.23 €8.21

-51.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.50 €1.33

-32.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$45.30 €40.30

-62.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.25 €2.01

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$34.1K €30.4K

-17.89%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$34.5K €30.7K

-18.26%

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

$205 €182

$243 €216

-15.69%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$7.81 €6.95

241.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$30.20 €26.86

0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$35.97 €32.00

51.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$14.57 €12.96

-28.48%

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

$569 €506

$1,795 €1,597

-68.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$10.1K €9,018

24.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$108 €96.4

-18.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$51.7 €46.03

-21.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$119 €106

-12.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$160 €142

-23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$627 €558

18.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$609 €542

7.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$1,186 €1,055

9.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$1,121 €997

2.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$3,900 €3,469

2.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$3,026 €2,691

14.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$2,821 €2,510

-55.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.4

31.76%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bourges: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Bourges

$609 31.5% 6.9% $45

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Bourges

$394 20.4% 27% $84

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Bourges

$317 16.4% 18.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Bourges

$281 14.5% 7.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Bourges

$198 10.2% 23.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Bourges

$65 3.4% 13.6% $10

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Bourges

$73 3.8% 62.6% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $627 in Bourges. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bourges pays 127% 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 $80.0 in Bourges for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $394 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇫🇷 Bourges

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

12:14 12:14 PM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

63,702

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Bourges 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Bourges

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 Bourges: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Bourges. 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 127% lower in Bourges. 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 $627 in Bourges. 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 $80.0 in Bourges. 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 $1,937 in Bourges – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $1,937 in Bourges, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Bourges. 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 Bourges 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 9% less than in Bourges. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.