Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Edessa Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Edessa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,834 in Athens versus $1,496 in Edessa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Athens versus $2,208 in Edessa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Athens versus $2,920 in Edessa.

Living in Athens is roughly 23% more expensive than in Edessa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 33% above, Edessa 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 €15.26

$17.11 €14.75

3.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.8

$55.5 €47.87

26.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.05

$10.20 €8.80

14.22%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.74

$3.58 €3.09

20.95%

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

$2.97 €2.56

$1.95 €1.68

52.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.50

$0.56 €0.48

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$3.99 €3.44

46.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.94

$4.75 €4.09

20.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.65 €1.42

18.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.36 €1.17

13.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$1.98 €1.70

46.97%

Eggs

$4.63 €3.99

$4.62 €3.98

0.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.58

$14.55 €12.54

8.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 €9.49

$8.92 €7.69

23.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.46

$13.21 €11.39

44.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.33 €2.01

-3.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.13 €1.84

-1.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.78 €1.53

-17.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.36 €2.03

-6.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.27 €1.09

-8.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.26 €1.09

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.03 €0.89

12.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$0.83 €0.71

15.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.91

$5.95 €5.13

-4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 €9.07

$7.47 €6.44

40.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.75 €1.51

27.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.76 €2.38

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.37 €1.18

0.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 €27.56

$50.2 €43.26

-36.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.45 €3.83

4.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.08 €0.93

-1.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €14.95

$16.16 €13.93

7.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.25 €1.94

3.56%

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

$28.6K €24.7K

$32.2K €27.7K

-11.01%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$24.3K €21.0K

21.54%

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

$229 €197

$261 €225

-12.36%

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

$28.03 €24.16

$26.45 €22.80

5.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.16 €27.72

$35.44 €30.55

-9.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.67

$50.6 €43.63

11.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 €24.38

$27.40 €23.62

3.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.46

$9.44 €8.14

16.21%

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

$597 €515

$431 €372

38.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.7K

$8,372 €7,216

62.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €80.6

$85.4 €73.6

9.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €35.91

$41.78 €36.02

-0.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.3

$89.7 €77.3

18.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$124 €107

7.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €637

$363 €313

103.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €570

$367 €316

80.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,155

$607 €523

120.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,011

$485 €418

141.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,006 €3,453

$1,371 €1,182

192.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,438 €2,964

$2,566 €2,212

34.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,293 €1,115

$787 €678

64.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.42

-1.13%

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

Last update for Athens: September 5, 2026

Last update for Edessa: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Athens and $363 in Edessa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 64% 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: $71.0 in Athens vs $56.0 in Edessa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $277 per month, with Edessa cheaper across the board.

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 Edessa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 64% 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: $739 in Athens versus $363 in Edessa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Edessa – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $71.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,834 per month in Athens versus $1,496 in Edessa – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,496 in Edessa versus $1,834 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Edessa but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Edessa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Edessa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,496 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Edessa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Edessa 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 Edessa 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.