Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Chios

For one person, living is cheaper in Chios: $1,445 a month against $1,771 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Chios
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Chios Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,771

/mo nomad

Chios

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Chios

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $1,445 in Chios.

Athens $1,771
Chios $1,445

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $2,157 in Chios.

Athens $2,736
Chios $2,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $2,868 in Chios.

Athens $3,701
Chios $2,868

Living in Athens is roughly 23% more expensive than in Chios, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Chios 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.97

$14.18 €12.61

18.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.7

$44.61 €39.68

52.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 €10.17

$13.71 €12.19

-16.63%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.61

$3.64 €3.24

11.54%

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

$2.74 €2.44

$2.44 €2.17

12.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.47

$0.96 €0.86

-44.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.06

$4.39 €3.91

29.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.06

$4.44 €3.95

27.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.54 €1.37

20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.38 €1.23

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.66 €2.36

6.02%

Eggs

$4.86 €4.32

$4.75 €4.22

2.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 €13.58

$13.50 €12.01

13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 €9.21

$9.49 €8.44

9.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.99

$14.35 €12.76

33.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.17 €1.93

2.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.03 €1.81

-5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.38 €1.23

2.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.99 €1.77

2.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.13 €1.01

-7.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.16 €1.03

0.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.05 €0.93

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.75

$0.85 €0.76

-1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 €4.89

$5.46 €4.85

0.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 €9.05

$6.86 €6.10

48.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.98 €1.76

7.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.60 €2.32

-12.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.30 €1.16

5.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.71 €26.43

$45.15 €40.16

-34.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 €3.90

$4.30 €3.82

2.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.89

$1.13 €1.01

-11.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 €14.79

$16.04 €14.26

3.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.11

$2.17 €1.93

9.68%

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

$28.4K €25.3K

$27.5K €24.5K

3.28%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$25.2K €22.4K

8.05%

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

$203 €181

$202 €179

0.89%

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

$26.79 €23.83

$23.34 €20.76

14.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 €26.82

$30.50 €27.13

-1.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 €47.74

$51.5 €45.77

4.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.40 €23.48

$24.90 €22.15

6.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 €9.42

$9.01 €8.01

17.54%

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

$566 €504

$426 €379

32.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.4K

$7,589 €6,750

69.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.3

$90.3 €80.3

-1.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 €36.01

$39.86 €35.45

1.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.3

$89.3 €79.4

16.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$119 €106

4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 €648

$489 €435

49.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 €576

$388 €345

67.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,181

$758 €674

75.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$605 €538

93.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,024 €3,579

$2,645 €2,352

52.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,483 €3,098

$2,230 €1,984

56.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,240 €1,103

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.46

0.45%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chios: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$647 36.5%

Chios

$388 26.8% 40.1% $260

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.6%

Chios

$277 19.2% 11.2% $35

Eating Out

Athens

$271 15.3%

Chios

$243 16.8% 10.3% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.7%

Chios

$255 17.7% 1.9% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.1%

Chios

$152 10.5% 5.4% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Chios

$69 4.8% 7.2% $5.4

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Chios

$60 4.2% 35.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $489 in Chios. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $45.00 in Chios for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $277 per month, with Chios cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇬🇷 Chios

🕒 Local time

19:04 7:04 PM

Same time as Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

53,408

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Athens Chios 210 km

From you

Athens
Chios

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 Chios: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chios wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chios the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,657 in Athens and $2,168 in Chios to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Athens versus $489 in Chios. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chios – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $1,445 in Chios – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,445 in Chios versus $1,771 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chios but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Chios the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chios delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,445 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chios hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Chios 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 Chios gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.