Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Busto Arsizio

For one person, living costs are similar in Athens and in Busto Arsizio: $1,775 and $1,822 a month, rent and utilities included.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Busto Arsizio
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Busto Arsizio Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Busto Arsizio

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Busto Arsizio

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,822 in Busto Arsizio.

Athens $1,775
Busto Arsizio $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,823 in Busto Arsizio.

Athens $2,721
Busto Arsizio $2,823

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,824 in Busto Arsizio.

Athens $3,666
Busto Arsizio $3,824

Living in Athens costs roughly 3% less than in Busto Arsizio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Busto Arsizio 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$21.97 €19.54

-24.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$90.0 €80.0

-24.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$11.35 €10.10

-1.85%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$2.17 €1.93

85.71%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$3.39 €3.01

-18.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.40 €1.25

-60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$6.73 €5.99

-14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$6.15 €5.47

-11.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.56 €1.39

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.45 €2.18

-43.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$3.43 €3.05

-18.37%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$4.88 €4.34

-1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$17.02 €15.14

-11.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$13.61 €12.11

-21.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$21.98 €19.55

-16.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.69 €2.40

-18.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.82 €1.62

4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.55 €2.27

-46.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.44 €3.06

-38.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.69 €1.50

-36.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.11 €1.87

-46.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.12 €0.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.61 €0.55

44.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$7.73 €6.87

-29.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$5.11 €4.54

98.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.49 €1.32

42.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.61 €1.43

39.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.65 €1.47

-17.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$42.67 €37.96

-29.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$3.82 €3.40

16.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$2.28 €2.03

-55.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$39.60 €35.22

-57.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.10 €1.87

7.14%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$36.7K €32.6K

-23.56%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$34.7K €30.9K

-18.74%

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

$205 €182

$198 €176

3.17%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$11.55 €10.27

130.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$26.99 €24.01

12.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$31.11 €27.67

75.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$11.29 €10.04

-7.71%

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

$569 €506

$873 €777

-34.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$7,047 €6,268

78.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$87.8 €78.1

0.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$27.58 €24.53

46.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$107 €94.8

-1.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$135 €120

-9.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$1,258 €1,119

-41.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$654 €581

0.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$1,924 €1,712

-32.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$1,075 €956

6.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$2,554 €2,272

57.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$1,591 €1,415

117.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$2,176 €1,935

-42.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.65

22.74%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Busto Arsizio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Busto Arsizio

$654 35.9% 0.2% $1

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Busto Arsizio

$352 19.3% 13.4% $42

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Busto Arsizio

$301 16.5% 12.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Busto Arsizio

$237 13% 9.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Busto Arsizio

$160 8.8% 0.4% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Busto Arsizio

$54 3% 28.7% $22

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Busto Arsizio

$65 3.5% 43.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $1,258 in Busto Arsizio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busto Arsizio pays 75% 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 $90.0 in Busto Arsizio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $352 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇮🇹 Busto Arsizio

🕒 Local time

19:42 7:42 PM

18:42 6:42 PM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

83,094

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Athens Busto Arsizio 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Busto Arsizio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Busto Arsizio. 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 75% lower in Busto Arsizio. 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 $1,258 in Busto Arsizio. 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 $90.0 in Busto Arsizio. 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 $1,822 in Busto Arsizio – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $1,822 in Busto Arsizio, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Busto Arsizio. 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 Busto Arsizio 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 3% less than in Busto Arsizio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.