Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Calella

For one person, living is cheaper in Calella: $1,596 a month against $1,771 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Athens, Greece
Calella, Spain
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Calella
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,596
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Calella

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $1,596 in Calella.

  • Athens $1,771
  • Calella $1,596

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $2,366 in Calella.

  • Athens $2,736
  • Calella $2,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $3,137 in Calella.

  • Athens $3,701
  • Calella $3,137

Living in Athens is roughly 11% more expensive than in Calella, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Calella 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Calella
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €15.00
$14.73 €13.13
14.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 €60.8
$56.4 €50.3
21.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 €10.19
$8.03 €7.15
42.34%
Cappuccino
$4.06 €3.62
$2.49 €2.22
63.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.45
$2.33 €2.08
17.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 €0.47
$1.79 €1.59
-70.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.07
$3.46 €3.08
64.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 €5.07
$3.31 €2.95
71.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Calella
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.11 €0.99
66.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 €1.29
$2.09 €1.86
-31.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 €2.52
$2.88 €2.57
-2.08%
Eggs
$4.86 €4.33
$3.03 €2.70
60.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.27 €13.61
$14.61 €13.03
4.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.36 €9.23
$8.31 €7.41
24.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.10 €17.02
$15.33 €13.66
24.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$2.48 €2.21
-10.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$1.97 €1.76
-2.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.58 €1.41
-10.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$2.42 €2.15
-15.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 €0.94
$1.79 €1.60
-41.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.86 €1.65
-37.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.38 €1.23
-21.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 €0.75
$0.62 €0.55
35.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.49 €4.90
$6.96 €6.21
-21.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.17 €9.07
$5.56 €4.96
82.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.07 €0.95
99.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.04
$2.43 €2.17
-6.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Calella
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.46 €1.30
-6.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.71 €26.48
$31.71 €28.26
-6.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.39 €3.91
$3.77 €3.36
16.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 €0.89
$1.24 €1.11
-19.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 €14.82
$14.51 €12.93
14.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.38 €2.12
$1.83 €1.63
30.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K €25.3K
$39.4K €35.1K
-27.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K €24.3K
$31.0K €27.6K
-12.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Calella
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 €181
$117 €104
73.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.79 €23.88
$13.52 €12.05
98.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.16 €26.88
$25.05 €22.32
20.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Calella
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.7 €47.84
$46.23 €41.20
16.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.40 €23.53
$17.63 €15.71
49.74%
Cinema Ticket
$10.59 €9.44
$8.35 €7.44
26.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Calella
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$566 €505
$560 €499
1.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.5K
$9,945 €8,864
29.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Calella
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 €79.4
$62.6 €55.8
42.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 €36.08
$21.12 €18.82
91.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.5
$114 €101
-8.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$160 €143
-22.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Calella
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 €650
$904 €805
-19.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$647 €577
$684 €610
-5.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,328 €1,184
$1,356 €1,208
-2.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,042
$1,011 €901
15.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,024 €3,586
$3,081 €2,746
30.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,483 €3,105
$1,932 €1,722
80.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Calella
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,240 €1,105
$1,725 €1,537
-28.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.3
35.76%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Calella: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$647
Calella
$684 5.7% $37
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$312
Calella
$273 12.6% $40
Eating Out
Athens
$271
Calella
$212 21.6% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Calella
$155 40.3% $105
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$161
Calella
$161 0% $0
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Calella
$63 15.9% $12
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Calella
$48 6.7% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $904 in Calella. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calella pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Athens vs $56 in Calella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $273 per month, with Calella cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇪🇸 Calella
🕒 Local time
12:24 12:24 PM
11:24 11:24 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
19,862
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Calella 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Calella

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 Calella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Calella?
Calella wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Calella the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Calella?
On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Athens. 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 Calella?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Athens versus $904 in Calella. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Calella?
Dining out is cheaper in Calella – a meal for two runs $56 versus $68 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 Calella?
All in, you’ll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $1,596 in Calella – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Athens or in Calella?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Calella is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Athens or Calella?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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