Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Caldas da Rainha

For one person, living is cheaper in Caldas da Rainha: $1,532 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Caldas da Rainha
Learn more

Caldas da Rainha Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Caldas da Rainha

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Caldas da Rainha

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 Caldas da Rainha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $1,532 in Caldas da Rainha.

Athens $1,806
Caldas da Rainha $1,532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $2,352 in Caldas da Rainha.

Athens $2,731
Caldas da Rainha $2,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $3,172 in Caldas da Rainha.

Athens $3,656
Caldas da Rainha $3,172

Living in Athens is roughly 18% more expensive than in Caldas da Rainha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 35% above, Caldas da Rainha 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.87

$15.73 €14.03

5.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

$50.9 €45.38

30.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.87

$10.22 €9.12

8.22%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$2.05 €1.83

101.95%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$2.36 €2.10

18.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.42 €1.26

-59.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$2.78 €2.48

102.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

$3.87 €3.46

41.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.07 €0.95

83.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.44 €1.28

-2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$1.56 €1.39

81.41%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.50

$3.01 €2.69

67.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.70

$10.38 €9.26

47.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.23

$7.26 €6.48

42.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.93

$12.81 €11.44

48.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.87 €1.67

16.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.33 €1.18

43.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.68 €1.50

-17.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.46 €2.19

-10.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.92 €1.71

-42.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$1.88 €1.68

-39.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.29 €1.15

-14.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.84 €0.75

-1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$5.74 €5.12

-2.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.09

$3.95 €3.53

157.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.64 €1.46

32.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.72 €1.54

42.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$3.67 €3.27

-62.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.55

$34.14 €30.46

-9.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$2.83 €2.53

54.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.91 €1.71

20.94%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$33.8K €30.2K

-17.20%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$37.7K €33.7K

-25.76%

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

$210 €187

$108 €96.0

95.01%

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

$26.70 €23.83

$18.14 €16.19

47.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

$38.70 €34.54

-22.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.72

$48.88 €43.62

11.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

$27.78 €24.79

-6.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

$8.78 €7.84

22.78%

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

$575 €513

$399 €356

44.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

$5,537 €4,941

137.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$95.8 €85.5

-2.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

$42.87 €38.26

-5.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

$112 €100

-7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$68.4 €61.1

87.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$891 €795

-15.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$671 €599

-2.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,154

$1,401 €1,251

-7.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,038

$1,122 €1,001

3.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

$2,845 €2,539

40.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

$2,284 €2,038

51.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,110

$1,145 €1,022

8.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.11

44.05%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Caldas da Rainha: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Caldas da Rainha

$671 43.4% 2.8% $19

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Caldas da Rainha

$230 14.9% 27% $85

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Caldas da Rainha

$218 14.1% 19% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Caldas da Rainha

$164 10.6% 38.3% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Caldas da Rainha

$144 9.3% 12.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Caldas da Rainha

$66 4.3% 12.8% $9.7

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Caldas da Rainha

$52 * 3.3% 12.4% $5.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $891 in Caldas da Rainha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 9% 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: $66.0 in Athens vs $51.0 in Caldas da Rainha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $230 per month, with Caldas da Rainha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇵🇹 Caldas da Rainha

🕒 Local time

15:13 3:13 PM

13:13 1:13 PM

2 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

50,917

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Athens Caldas da Rainha 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Caldas da Rainha

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 Caldas da Rainha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caldas da Rainha wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Caldas da Rainha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Athens versus $891 in Caldas da Rainha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Caldas da Rainha – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $66.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $1,532 in Caldas da Rainha – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,532 in Caldas da Rainha versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caldas da Rainha but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Caldas da Rainha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Caldas da Rainha delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,532 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Caldas da Rainha hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Caldas da Rainha 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 Caldas da Rainha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.