Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Derna

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $171 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 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

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Derna

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $171 in Derna.

Athens $1,806
Derna $171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $337 in Derna.

Athens $2,731
Derna $337

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $503 in Derna.

Athens $3,656
Derna $503

Living in Athens is roughly 959% more expensive than in Derna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 35% above, Derna is 87% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.87

$4.01 LYD 25.66

315.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

$7.85 LYD 50.2

743.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.87

$3.20 LYD 20.46

245.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 LYD 3.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.15

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$0.45 LYD 2.88

820.00%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$0.29 LYD 1.89

865.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$0.72 LYD 4.63

172.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$2.29 LYD 14.68

23.58%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.50

$0.93 LYD 5.95

441.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.70

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.23

$3.15 LYD 20.18

228.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.93

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$0.75 LYD 4.82

154.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.96 LYD 6.14

43.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.09

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.55

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$0.80 LYD 5.15

446.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

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

$28.0K €25.0K

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

$28.0K €25.0K

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

$210 €187

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

$26.70 €23.83

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

$14.23 LYD 91.1

111.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.72

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

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

$575 €513

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$31.11 LYD 199

199.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

$39.65 LYD 254

2.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

$38.36 LYD 245

171.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$39.17 LYD 251

227.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,154

$159 LYD 1,017

714.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,038

$95.5 LYD 611

1117.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

$196 LYD 1,255

1943.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

$78.0 LYD 499

4328.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,110

$169 LYD 1,080

636.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Derna: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Derna

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Derna

–

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Derna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Derna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Derna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Derna

–

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Derna

–

Cost Breakdown

Athens pays 637% 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 $8.00 in Derna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $44.00 per month, with Derna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇱🇾 Derna

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

05:09 5:09 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

50,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Derna 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Athens
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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 Derna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Derna wins on cost – living expenses run 959% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Derna the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 637% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $171 in Derna – a 959% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 611% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $171 in Derna versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Derna but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Derna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Derna delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $171 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Derna hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Derna 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 Derna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 959% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.