Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $934 in Cebu.

Athens $1,806
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Athens $2,731
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Athens $3,656
Cebu $1,896

Living in Athens is roughly 93% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 35% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.85

$3.03 ₱191

449.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.0

$23.48 ₱1,476

181.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.86

$4.09 ₱257

170.42%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$2.52 ₱158

64.29%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$1.54 ₱97.2

81.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.49 ₱31.06

16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$1.79 ₱113

215.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.86

$2.26 ₱142

141.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.95 ₱122

0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.43 ₱89.9

-1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$1.02 ₱64.0

177.45%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.49

$2.06 ₱129

144.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.68

$9.81 ₱617

56.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.22

$4.61 ₱290

124.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.92

$7.70 ₱484

146.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.31 ₱208

-34.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.45 ₱91.2

31.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.36 ₱148

-41.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.54 ₱96.6

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$2.36 ₱148

-53.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$1.99 ₱125

-43.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.15 ₱72.3

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.67 ₱42.26

23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$3.00 ₱189

86.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.08

$6.35 ₱399

60.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.31 ₱82.1

66.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$1.73 ₱109

41.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.25 ₱15.82

452.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.52

$12.65 ₱796

144.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$0.74 ₱46.44

490.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$0.21 ₱13.15

395.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.26

$4.33 ₱272

295.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.33 ₱83.7

73.68%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

28.57%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

44.42%

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

$210 €187

$121 ₱7,583

73.95%

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

$26.70 €23.80

$14.45 ₱909

84.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.86

$28.29 ₱1,779

6.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.68

$32.68 ₱2,055

67.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.21

$6.39 ₱402

307.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.61

$5.46 ₱343

97.44%

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

$575 €513

$273 ₱17.2K

110.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

$8,156 ₱512.9K

60.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$49.57 ₱3,117

87.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.27

$24.87 ₱1,564

63.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.8

$76.6 ₱4,817

35.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$59.3 ₱3,727

116.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$506 ₱31.8K

49.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$309 ₱19.5K

110.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,153

$1,052 ₱66.1K

23.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,037

$619 ₱38.9K

87.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,574

$2,915 ₱183.4K

37.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,078

$1,867 ₱117.4K

84.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,109

$341 ₱21.5K

264.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

7.2

-37.78%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 52.6% $343

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 33.1% $104

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 67.1% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 38.7% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 42.6% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 42.8% $33

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 66.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 265% 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 $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

09:38 9:38 AM

5 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Cebu 10,180 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cebu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 265% 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 $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $23.00 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 $934 in Cebu – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cebu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $934 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cebu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Cebu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.