Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and El Kef

For one person, living is cheaper in El Kef: $610 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
El Kef
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$610
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in El Kef

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $610 in El Kef.

  • Athens $1,775
  • El Kef $610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $959 in El Kef.

  • Athens $2,721
  • El Kef $959

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $1,308 in El Kef.

  • Athens $3,666
  • El Kef $1,308

Living in Athens is roughly 191% more expensive than in El Kef, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, El Kef is 55% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
El Kef
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$5.34 TND 15.99
212.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$13.49 TND 40.39
402.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$4.55 TND 13.63
144.84%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$0.65 TND 1.94
520.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$0.52 TND 1.55
432.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$0.24 TND 0.72
129.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$0.88 TND 2.65
552.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$0.98 TND 2.92
456.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
El Kef
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$0.46 TND 1.39
295.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$0.20 TND 0.60
590.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$1.78 TND 5.34
57.30%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$1.44 TND 4.30
235.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$15.02 TND 45.00
0.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$6.41 TND 19.20
65.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$14.67 TND 43.94
25.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.59 TND 4.76
38.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.69 TND 5.06
12.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.02 TND 3.06
34.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$0.57 TND 1.72
268.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.38 TND 1.14
184.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.19 TND 0.56
489.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.45 TND 1.36
148.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.29 TND 0.86
203.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$3.45 TND 10.32
58.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$4.33 TND 12.98
133.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$0.70 TND 2.11
204.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$0.93 TND 2.77
141.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
El Kef
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$0.32 TND 0.95
325.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$9.99 TND 29.93
199.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$0.31 TND 0.94
1335.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$0.29 TND 0.87
251.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$3.96 TND 11.87
327.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$0.83 TND 2.49
171.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$38.8K TND 116.3K
-27.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$36.7K TND 109.8K
-23.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
El Kef
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$26.87 TND 80.5
661.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$10.57 TND 31.65
152.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$13.92 TND 41.70
118.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
El Kef
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$27.30 TND 81.8
99.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$12.16 TND 36.42
112.83%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$3.36 TND 10.05
210.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
El Kef
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$61.2 TND 183
829.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$1,972 TND 5,905
538.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
El Kef
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$23.11 TND 69.2
283.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$68.0 TND 204
-40.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$39.88 TND 119
163.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$78.3 TND 234
55.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
El Kef
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$208 TND 624
255.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$157 TND 470
317.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$365 TND 1,093
256.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$269 TND 804
327.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$939 TND 2,813
327.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$628 TND 1,880
451.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
El Kef
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$168 TND 504
637.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
11
-59.27%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for El Kef: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
El Kef
$157 76% $498
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
El Kef
$187 39.9% $124
Eating Out
Athens
$268
El Kef
$74 72.6% $195
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
El Kef
$51 80.4% $210
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
El Kef
$94 41.1% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
El Kef
$34 54.9% $41
Getting Around
Athens
$45
El Kef
$13 71% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $208 in El Kef. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 638% 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 $13.00 in El Kef for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $187 per month, with El Kef cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇹🇳 El Kef
🕒 Local time
07:10 7:10 AM
05:10 5:10 AM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
73,710
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens El Kef 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • El Kef

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 El Kef: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or El Kef?
El Kef wins on cost – living expenses run 191% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making El Kef the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in El Kef?
Average pay runs 638% 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 El Kef?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $208 in El Kef. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in El Kef?
Dining out is cheaper in El Kef – a meal for two runs $13.00 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 El Kef?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $610 in El Kef – a 191% 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 El Kef?
At $610 in El Kef versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Kef but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes El Kef the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or El Kef?
Both work as nomad bases, but El Kef delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $610 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes El Kef hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to El Kef?
Safety-wise, Athens and El Kef 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 El Kef gentler on the wallet – expenses run 191% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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