Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Brest

For one person, living is cheaper in Brest: $1,381 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Brest
🇫🇷 France
$1,381
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Brest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,381 in Brest.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Brest $1,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,157 in Brest.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Brest $2,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $2,933 in Brest.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Brest $2,933

Living in Athens is roughly 29% more expensive than in Brest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Brest 2% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Brest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$15.39 €13.68
8.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$45.10 €40.11
50.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$11.33 €10.07
-1.68%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$2.97 €2.64
35.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$3.02 €2.68
-8.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$2.04 €1.82
-73.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$6.48 €5.76
-11.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.84
$5.41 €4.81
0.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Brest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.11 €0.99
63.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.52 €1.35
-9.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$2.57 €2.29
8.95%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$3.50 €3.11
38.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$18.71 €16.64
-19.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$10.12 €9.00
5.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$14.34 €12.75
28.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.94 €2.61
-25.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.90 €1.69
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.62 €2.33
-47.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.89 €2.57
-27.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.70 €1.51
-36.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.02 €1.80
-44.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.39 €1.24
-19.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.34 €0.30
158.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$13.40 €11.92
-59.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$6.89 €6.13
47.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$2.62 €2.33
-18.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.81 €2.50
-19.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Brest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.88 €1.67
-27.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$39.58 €35.20
-24.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$8.32 €7.40
-46.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$2.95 €2.62
-65.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$30.97 €27.54
-45.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.02 €1.79
11.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$36.8K €32.7K
-23.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$34.3K €30.5K
-17.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Brest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$141 €126
44.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.70
$27.20 €24.19
-2.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$31.11 €27.67
-2.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Brest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.46
$35.05 €31.18
55.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$15.12 €13.44
71.16%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$13.74 €12.22
-24.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Brest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$223 €198
155.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$11.4K €10.1K
10.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Brest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$69.1 €61.4
28.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$30.43 €27.07
32.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$76.7 €68.2
36.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$69.5 €61.8
74.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Brest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$512 €456
44.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$380 €338
72.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$882 €784
47.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$733 €652
56.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$2,804 €2,494
43.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$2,503 €2,226
38.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Brest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$2,642 €2,350
-52.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.82
17.28%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Brest: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Brest
$380 42% $275
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Brest
$303 2.5% $7.8
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Brest
$256 4.5% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Brest
$200 23.7% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Brest
$111 30.9% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Brest
$63 17% $13
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Brest
$70 56.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $512 in Brest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays 113% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $45.00 in Brest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $303 per month, with Brest cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇫🇷 Brest
🕒 Local time
20:19 8:19 PM
19:19 7:19 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
139,619
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Brest 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Brest

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 Brest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Brest?
Brest wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Brest?
On paper, salaries run 113% lower in Brest. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Brest?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $512 in Brest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Brest?
Dining out is cheaper in Brest – a meal for two runs $45.00 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 Brest?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,381 in Brest – a 29% 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 Brest?
At $1,381 in Brest versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brest but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Brest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Brest?
Both work as nomad bases, but Brest delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,381 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brest hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Brest?
Safety-wise, Athens and Brest 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 Brest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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