Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartagena: $1,427 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
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Cartagena Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Cartagena

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,427 in Cartagena.

Athens $1,775
Cartagena $1,427

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,095 in Cartagena.

Athens $2,721
Cartagena $2,095

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $2,762 in Cartagena.

Athens $3,666
Cartagena $2,762

Living in Athens is roughly 24% more expensive than in Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Cartagena 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$13.84 €12.31

20.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$55.0 €48.90

23.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$7.60 €6.76

46.58%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$2.56 €2.27

57.42%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$2.45 €2.18

13.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.84 €1.64

-70.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$3.43 €3.05

67.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$3.98 €3.54

36.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.21 €1.07

50.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.18 €1.05

16.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.55 €2.26

9.80%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$3.96 €3.52

21.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$12.91 €11.48

16.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$6.94 €6.18

53.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$18.67 €16.60

-1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.39 €2.13

-7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.52 €2.24

-24.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.61 €1.43

-14.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.09 €2.75

-32.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.25 €1.11

-13.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.24 €1.10

-9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.57 €1.40

-28.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.69 €0.62

27.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$5.64 €5.02

-2.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$6.24 €5.55

62.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.25 €1.11

70.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.13 €1.00

99.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.43 €1.27

-4.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$11.14 €9.91

168.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$5.50 €4.90

-19.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$2.25 €2.00

-54.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$27.49 €24.45

-38.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.77 €1.58

27.12%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$35.1K €31.2K

-20.16%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$30.2K €26.8K

-6.39%

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

$205 €182

$210 €187

-2.59%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$19.74 €17.56

35.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$28.70 €25.53

5.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$41.14 €36.59

32.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$12.80 €11.39

102.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$7.70 €6.85

35.32%

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

$569 €506

$416 €370

36.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$2,726 €2,425

361.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$47.17 €41.96

87.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$35.38 €31.47

14.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$61.1 €54.3

71.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$101 €89.7

20.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$591 €525

25.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$492 €438

33.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$836 €743

55.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$708 €630

62.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$1,770 €1,574

126.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$1,433 €1,275

141.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$1,720 €1,530

-27.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.06

10.34%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Cartagena

$492 34.5% 24.8% $162

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Cartagena

$270 18.9% 13% $40

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Cartagena

$206 14.5% 23% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Cartagena

$258 18.1% 1.2% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Cartagena

$110 7.7% 31.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Cartagena

$57 4% 24.9% $19

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Cartagena

$34 2.4% 25.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $591 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 38% 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 $55.0 in Cartagena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $270 per month, with Cartagena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇪🇸 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

02:56 2:56 AM

01:56 1:56 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

218,050

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Athens Cartagena 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Cartagena

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 Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cartagena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Cartagena. 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 $591 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cartagena – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. 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 $1,427 in Cartagena – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,427 in Cartagena versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Cartagena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cartagena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,427 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cartagena hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Cartagena 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 Cartagena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.