Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Cascais

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,157 in Cascais, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cascais outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Cascais
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,157
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Cascais

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $2,157 in Cascais.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Cascais $2,157

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $3,481 in Cascais.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Cascais $3,481

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $4,805 in Cascais.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Cascais $4,805

Living in Athens costs roughly 18% less than in Cascais, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Cascais 60% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Cascais
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$15.31 €13.62
9.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$44.46 €39.55
52.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$9.26 €8.24
20.30%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$2.59 €2.30
55.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.04 €1.81
35.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$2.19 €1.95
-74.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$3.30 €2.93
73.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$5.67 €5.05
-3.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Cascais
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.31 €1.17
38.93%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.23 €1.99
-38.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$1.62 €1.44
72.84%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$3.44 €3.06
40.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$10.70 €9.51
40.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$6.86 €6.10
54.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$15.19 €13.51
21.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.75 €2.45
-20.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.46 €1.30
30.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.45 €2.18
-44.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.16 €1.92
-2.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.61 €1.43
-32.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.36 €2.10
-52.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.63 €1.45
-31.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.07 €0.95
-17.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$5.71 €5.08
-4.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$7.58 €6.74
33.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.24 €1.10
71.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$4.39 €3.90
-48.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Cascais
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$2.47 €2.20
-44.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$44.24 €39.35
-32.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$2.27 €2.02
96.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.11 €1.88
6.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$33.8K €30.0K
-16.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$38.0K €33.8K
-25.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Cascais
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$133 €119
53.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$24.80 €22.06
7.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$56.0 €49.83
-45.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Cascais
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$66.8 €59.4
-18.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$11.32 €10.06
128.62%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$7.07 €6.29
47.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Cascais
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$719 €639
-20.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$18.4K €16.3K
-31.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Cascais
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$78.9 €70.2
12.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$38.31 €34.08
5.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$105 €93.0
0.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$133 €119
-8.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Cascais
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$1,763 €1,568
-57.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$1,150 €1,023
-43.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$3,833 €3,409
-66.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$2,606 €2,318
-55.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$6,815 €6,062
-41.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$4,833 €4,299
-28.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Cascais
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$2,264 €2,014
-45.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.67
22.07%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cascais: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Cascais
$1.1K 75.7% $495
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Cascais
$270 13.1% $41
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Cascais
$226 15.7% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Cascais
$214 18.2% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Cascais
$160 0.1% $0.2
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Cascais
$81 7.4% $5.6
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Cascais
$56 * 25.7% $12

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 $741 in Athens and $1,763 in Cascais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cascais pays 82% 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 $44.00 in Cascais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $270 per month, with Cascais cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇵🇹 Cascais
🕒 Local time
14:30 2:30 PM
12:30 12:30 PM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
214,158
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Cascais 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Cascais

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 Cascais: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Cascais?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Cascais. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Cascais?
On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Cascais. 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 Cascais?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $1,763 in Cascais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Cascais?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $44.00 in Cascais. 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 Cascais?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $2,157 in Cascais – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Cascais?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,157 in Cascais, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Cascais. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Cascais?
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.
How safe is Athens compared to Cascais?
Safety-wise, Athens and Cascais 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Cascais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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