Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ferrara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ferrara: $1,582 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Ferrara
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,582
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Ferrara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,582 in Ferrara.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Ferrara $1,582

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,476 in Ferrara.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Ferrara $2,476

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,370 in Ferrara.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Ferrara $3,370

Living in Athens is roughly 12% more expensive than in Ferrara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Ferrara 17% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Ferrara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$17.96 €15.98
-7.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$67.9 €60.4
-0.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$11.07 €9.85
0.63%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$1.92 €1.70
109.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.63 €2.34
5.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.17 €1.04
-52.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$5.54 €4.93
3.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$5.46 €4.86
-0.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Ferrara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.62 €1.44
12.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.72 €2.42
-49.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$3.13 €2.78
-10.54%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$4.64 €4.13
4.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$17.61 €15.67
-14.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$11.31 €10.06
-6.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$24.40 €21.70
-24.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.96 €2.63
-25.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.48 €1.31
28.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.76 €3.34
-63.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$4.33 €3.85
-51.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$2.41 €2.15
-55.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.39 €2.13
-53.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.86 €1.65
-39.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.34 €0.30
158.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$6.63 €5.90
-17.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$4.33 €3.85
133.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.40 €1.25
52.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.13 €1.89
5.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Ferrara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$2.06 €1.84
-33.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$30.25 €26.91
-1.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$8.28 €7.37
-46.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.91 €1.70
-46.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$33.91 €30.16
-50.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.10 €1.87
7.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$35.6K €31.6K
-21.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$36.0K €32.0K
-21.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Ferrara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$139 €124
46.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$9.52 €8.47
179.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$27.59 €24.54
10.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Ferrara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$37.21 €33.09
46.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$15.97 €14.20
62.05%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$8.80 €7.83
18.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Ferrara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$337 €300
68.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$10.0K €8,930
25.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Ferrara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$93.8 €83.5
-5.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$33.56 €29.85
20.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$104 €92.8
0.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$103 €91.8
17.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Ferrara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$621 €552
19.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$529 €470
23.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$1,261 €1,122
3.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$886 €788
29.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$2,314 €2,058
73.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$1,763 €1,568
96.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Ferrara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$1,618 €1,439
-23.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.37
32.94%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ferrara: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Ferrara
$529 19.2% $126
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Ferrara
$361 16.3% $51
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Ferrara
$254 5.3% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Ferrara
$176 32.6% $85
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Ferrara
$151 5.8% $9.2
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Ferrara
$55 27.2% $21
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Ferrara
$56 25.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $621 in Ferrara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ferrara pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $68.0 in Ferrara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $361 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇮🇹 Ferrara
🕒 Local time
15:27 3:27 PM
14:27 2:27 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
133,155
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Ferrara 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Ferrara

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 Ferrara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Ferrara?
Ferrara wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ferrara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Ferrara?
On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Ferrara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Ferrara?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $621 in Ferrara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Ferrara?
Dining out is cheaper in Ferrara – a meal for two runs $68.0 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 Ferrara?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,582 in Ferrara – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Ferrara?
At $1,582 in Ferrara versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ferrara but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Ferrara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Ferrara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ferrara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,582 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ferrara hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Ferrara?
Safety-wise, Athens and Ferrara 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 Ferrara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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