Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Covilha

For one person, living is cheaper in Covilha: $1,184 a month against $1,771 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Covilha
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,184
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Covilha

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $1,184 in Covilha.

  • Athens $1,771
  • Covilha $1,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $1,846 in Covilha.

  • Athens $2,736
  • Covilha $1,846

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $2,509 in Covilha.

  • Athens $3,701
  • Covilha $2,509

Living in Athens is roughly 50% more expensive than in Covilha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Covilha is 13% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Covilha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.97
$8.88 €7.90
89.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 €60.7
$37.07 €32.98
84.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 €10.17
$6.53 €5.81
75.04%
Cappuccino
$4.06 €3.61
$1.29 €1.14
214.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.44
$1.63 €1.45
68.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 €0.47
$1.09 €0.97
-51.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.06
$1.95 €1.73
191.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 €5.06
$1.48 €1.32
283.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Covilha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.64
$0.97 €0.87
90.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 €1.28
$0.94 €0.84
53.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$1.25 €1.11
125.60%
Eggs
$4.86 €4.32
$2.60 €2.31
86.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.27 €13.58
$7.28 €6.48
109.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.36 €9.21
$6.90 €6.14
50.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.10 €16.99
$11.04 €9.82
73.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$1.84 €1.64
20.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$1.24 €1.10
54.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 €1.25
$1.41 €1.26
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$2.37 €2.11
-13.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.32 €1.18
-20.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.70 €1.51
-31.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.49 €1.32
-27.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 €0.75
$0.46 €0.41
82.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.49 €4.89
$5.73 €5.10
-4.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.17 €9.05
$3.17 €2.82
220.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.03 €0.91
106.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.40 €1.24
62.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Covilha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.98 €1.76
-30.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.71 €26.43
$43.32 €38.54
-31.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.39 €3.90
$4.37 €3.89
0.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 €0.89
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 €14.79
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.38 €2.11
$2.05 €1.83
16.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K €25.3K
$33.8K €30.1K
-16.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K €24.2K
$37.2K €33.1K
-26.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Covilha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 €181
$129 €115
57.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.79 €23.83
$19.81 €17.62
35.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.16 €26.82
$38.84 €34.55
-22.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Covilha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.7 €47.74
$42.19 €37.53
27.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.40 €23.48
$10.05 €8.94
162.69%
Cinema Ticket
$10.59 €9.42
$8.39 €7.47
26.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Covilha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$566 €504
$84.6 €75.3
569.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.4K
$6,148 €5,469
109.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Covilha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 €79.3
$75.6 €67.2
17.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 €36.01
$21.01 €18.69
92.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.3
$107 €95.3
-3.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$171 €152
-27.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Covilha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 €648
$495 €440
47.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$647 €576
$392 €349
65.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,328 €1,181
$972 €864
36.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$780 €694
49.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,024 €3,579
$1,777 €1,581
126.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,483 €3,098
$681 €606
411.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Covilha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,240 €1,103
$1,003 €892
23.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.45
29.86%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Covilha: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$647
Covilha
$392 39.4% $255
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$312
Covilha
$191 38.8% $121
Eating Out
Athens
$271
Covilha
$130 52.1% $141
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Covilha
$188 27.9% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$161
Covilha
$168 4.7% $7.6
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Covilha
$59 21.2% $16
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Covilha
$56 * 24.8% $11

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 $729 in Athens and $495 in Covilha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 24% 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 $37.00 in Covilha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $191 per month, with Covilha cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇵🇹 Covilha
🕒 Local time
17:42 5:42 PM
15:42 3:42 PM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
46,457
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Covilha 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Covilha

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 Covilha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Covilha?
Covilha wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Covilha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Covilha?
Average pay runs 24% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Covilha?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Athens versus $495 in Covilha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Covilha?
Dining out is cheaper in Covilha – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. 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 Covilha?
All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $1,184 in Covilha – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Athens or in Covilha?
At $1,184 in Covilha versus $1,771 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Covilha but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Covilha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Covilha?
Both work as nomad bases, but Covilha delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,184 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Covilha hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Covilha?
Safety-wise, Athens and Covilha 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 Covilha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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