For one person, living is cheaper in Fes: $675 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Fes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $675 in Fes.
Athens $1,775
Fes $675
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,042 in Fes.
Athens $2,721
Fes $1,042
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $1,408 in Fes.
Athens $3,666
Fes $1,408
🌍
Living in Athens is roughly 163% more expensive than in Fes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Fes is 50% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Fes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69€14.84
$3.04MAD 29.68
449.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8€60.3
$31.52MAD 307
115.07%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.14€9.91
$6.09MAD 59.4
82.92%
Cappuccino
$4.03€3.58
$1.31MAD 12.82
207.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77€2.46
$0.54MAD 5.31
412.96%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$0.38MAD 3.75
44.74%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.74€5.10
$3.67MAD 35.81
56.40%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45€4.85
$4.20MAD 40.98
29.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Fes
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.82€1.62
$0.79MAD 7.72
130.38%
White Bread(500g)
$1.38€1.23
$0.54MAD 5.26
155.56%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.80€2.49
$1.74MAD 16.99
60.92%
Eggs
$4.83€4.30
$1.87MAD 18.27
158.29%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.05€13.39
$9.74MAD 95.0
54.52%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.63€9.45
$4.44MAD 43.30
139.41%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.43€16.39
$9.50MAD 92.6
94.00%
Apples(1kg)
$2.20€1.96
$1.89MAD 18.46
16.40%
Banana(1kg)
$1.90€1.69
$1.57MAD 15.31
21.02%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.37€1.22
$1.08MAD 10.53
26.85%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.10€1.87
$1.05MAD 10.21
100.00%
Potato(1kg)
$1.08€0.96
$0.91MAD 8.89
18.68%
Onion(1kg)
$1.12€1.00
$1.05MAD 10.27
6.67%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.12€1.00
$0.48MAD 4.70
133.33%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88€0.79
$0.57MAD 5.51
54.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48€4.88
$4.31MAD 41.98
27.15%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.13€9.01
$4.52MAD 44.08
124.12%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13€1.89
$2.67MAD 26.07
-20.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25€2.00
$3.16MAD 30.85
-28.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Fes
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.36€1.21
$0.39MAD 3.83
248.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$29.89€26.59
$10.14MAD 98.9
194.77%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.45€3.96
$0.64MAD 6.24
595.31%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.02€0.90
$0.75MAD 7.28
36.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.92€15.05
-
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.25€2.00
$1.44MAD 14.00
56.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K€24.9K
$34.9KMAD 339.9K
-19.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K€25.1K
$34.5KMAD 336.5K
-18.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Fes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$205€182
$32.49MAD 317
529.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65€23.71
$10.33MAD 101
157.99%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38€27.02
$35.45MAD 346
-14.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Fes
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$54.5€48.47
$26.35MAD 257
106.79%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88€23.02
$19.30MAD 188
34.09%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42€9.27
$5.03MAD 49.00
107.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Fes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$569€506
$94.6MAD 922
501.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.6K€11.2K
$6,313MAD 61.6K
99.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Fes
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7€78.9
$19.29MAD 188
359.62%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46€35.99
$52.4MAD 511
-22.82%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$105€93.3
$81.8MAD 797
28.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121€108
$56.7MAD 552
114.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Fes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$741€659
$313MAD 3,050
136.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$655€582
$183MAD 1,782
258.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,300€1,156
$539MAD 5,252
141.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,148€1,021
$249MAD 2,431
360.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,014€3,570
$724MAD 7,062
454.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,460€3,078
$342MAD 3,333
912.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Fes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,242€1,105
$483MAD 4,709
157.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.48
5
-10.40%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026
Last update for Fes: October 13, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655 36.9%
Fes
$183 27.1% ↓ 72.1%$472
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310 17.5%
Fes
$178 26.4% ↓ 42.5%$132
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$268 15.1%
Fes
$89 13.2% ↓ 66.8%$179
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262 14.7%
Fes
$78 11.6% ↓ 70.1%$183
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160 9%
Fes
$95 14% ↓ 40.9%$65
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75 4.2%
Fes
$36 5.4% ↓ 51.7%$39
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$45 2.5%
Fes
$16 2.4% ↓ 64.1%$29
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$1.1K 31.3%
Fes
$249 17.7% ↓ 78.3%$899
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$726 19.8%
Fes
$409 29% ↓ 43.7%$318
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$879 24%
Fes
$326 23.2% ↓ 62.9%$553
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$288 7.9%
Fes
$89 6.3% ↓ 69.3%$200
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$355 9.7%
Fes
$210 14.9% ↓ 40.9%$145
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$177 4.8%
Fes
$92 6.5% ↓ 47.8%$84
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$92 2.5%
Fes
$33 2.3% ↓ 64.4%$60
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $313 in Fes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Athens pays 157% 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 $32.00 in Fes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $178 per month, with Fes cheaper across the board.
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 Fes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Fes?
Fes wins on cost – living expenses run 163% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fes the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Fes?
Average pay runs 157% 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 Fes?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $313 in Fes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Fes?
Dining out is cheaper in Fes – a meal for two runs $32.00 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 Fes?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $675 in Fes – a 163% 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 Fes?
At $675 in Fes versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fes but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Fes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Fes?
Both work as nomad bases, but Fes delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $675 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fes hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Fes?
Safety-wise, Athens and Fes 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 Fes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.