Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Chalcis

For one person, living is cheaper in Chalcis: $1,427 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Chalcis
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Chalcis Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Chalcis

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Chalcis

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $1,427 in Chalcis.

Athens $1,759
Chalcis $1,427

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $2,185 in Chalcis.

Athens $2,696
Chalcis $2,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $2,944 in Chalcis.

Athens $3,632
Chalcis $2,944

Living in Athens is roughly 23% more expensive than in Chalcis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 29% above, Chalcis 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.28

$11.15 €9.99

52.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €59.0

$46.37 €41.55

41.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 €9.82

$9.16 €8.21

19.65%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.68

$3.61 €3.24

13.57%

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

$2.83 €2.54

$2.30 €2.06

23.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.53

$0.63 €0.57

-6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.04

$3.38 €3.02

66.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.08

$4.37 €3.91

29.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.57 €1.41

21.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.34 €1.20

8.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$2.20 €1.97

23.18%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.52

$4.38 €3.92

15.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €13.51

$12.28 €11.00

22.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.21

$10.14 €9.09

1.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.38

$15.82 €14.17

22.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.90

$1.92 €1.72

10.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.03 €1.82

-5.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.65 €1.48

-14.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.03 €1.82

4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.94

$1.10 €0.98

-5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.16 €1.04

-2.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.86 €0.77

31.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.86 €0.77

-5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 €4.94

$4.95 €4.44

11.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.95

$7.34 €6.58

36.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$1.72 €1.55

18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$3.29 €2.94

-30.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.38 €1.23

-5.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 €27.48

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.92

$4.40 €3.95

-0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.10 €0.99

-6.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.05 €15.28

$16.89 €15.13

0.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.09 €1.87

11.96%

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

$28.3K €25.3K

$27.5K €24.6K

2.84%

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

$26.8K €24.0K

$24.3K €21.8K

10.22%

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

$200 €179

$172 €155

15.91%

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

$25.17 €22.56

$25.77 €23.09

-2.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 €26.57

$27.53 €24.67

7.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €45.20

$67.3 €60.3

-25.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.94 €23.24

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.43

$9.43 €8.45

11.56%

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

$576 €516

$284 €254

103.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.6K

$4,705 €4,216

174.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €80.4

$81.2 €72.8

10.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 €35.46

$38.84 €34.81

1.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.5

$80.3 €71.9

31.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$107 €95.7

15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €663

$602 €540

22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €576

$485 €435

32.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,169

$1,050 €941

24.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €1,004

$897 €803

24.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,011 €3,595

$2,433 €2,181

64.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,284 €2,943

$2,002 €1,794

64.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 €1,097

$1,014 €909

20.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.38

2.28%

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

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chalcis: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$643 36.5%

Chalcis

$485 34% 24.5% $157

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.7%

Chalcis

$278 19.5% 10.9% $34

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.4%

Chalcis

$197 13.8% 27.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$255 14.5%

Chalcis

$226 15.8% 11.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.2%

Chalcis

$138 9.7% 14.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$71 4.1%

Chalcis

$86 6% 20.5% $15

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.6%

Chalcis

$15 * 1.1% 66% $30

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 $740 in Athens and $602 in Chalcis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 21% 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 in Athens vs $46 in Chalcis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $278 per month, with Chalcis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇬🇷 Chalcis

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

Same time as Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

59,125

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Chalcis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chalcis wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chalcis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $740 in Athens versus $602 in Chalcis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Athens versus $284 in Chalcis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chalcis – a meal for two runs $46 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Chalcis wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.