For one person, living is cheaper in Fier: $964 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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 Fier actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $964 in Fier.
Athens $1,775
Fier $964
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,522 in Fier.
Athens $2,721
Fier $1,522
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $2,081 in Fier.
Athens $3,666
Fier $2,081
🌍
Living in Athens is roughly 84% more expensive than in Fier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Fier is 29% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Fier
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69€14.84
$10.03ALL 808
66.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8€60.3
$37.19ALL 2,995
82.28%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.14€9.91
$3.70ALL 298
201.08%
Cappuccino
$4.03€3.58
$2.21ALL 178
82.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77€2.46
$2.18ALL 175
27.06%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$0.93ALL 74.8
-40.86%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.74€5.10
$1.81ALL 146
217.13%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45€4.85
$3.40ALL 274
60.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Fier
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.82€1.62
$2.16ALL 174
-15.74%
White Bread(500g)
$1.38€1.23
$1.15ALL 92.3
20.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.80€2.49
$2.13ALL 172
31.46%
Eggs
$4.83€4.30
$3.61ALL 291
33.80%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.05€13.39
$12.49ALL 1,006
20.50%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.63€9.45
$8.64ALL 695
23.03%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.43€16.39
$13.33ALL 1,073
38.26%
Apples(1kg)
$2.20€1.96
$1.31ALL 106
67.94%
Banana(1kg)
$1.90€1.69
$2.47ALL 199
-23.08%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.37€1.22
$1.73ALL 139
-20.81%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.10€1.87
$1.44ALL 116
45.83%
Potato(1kg)
$1.08€0.96
$1.00ALL 80.2
8.00%
Onion(1kg)
$1.12€1.00
$1.02ALL 81.8
9.80%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.12€1.00
$1.06ALL 85.3
5.66%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88€0.79
$0.59ALL 47.63
49.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48€4.88
$4.61ALL 371
18.87%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.13€9.01
$10.53ALL 848
-3.80%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13€1.89
$1.49ALL 120
42.95%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25€2.00
$2.07ALL 167
8.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Fier
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.36€1.21
$0.51ALL 40.76
166.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$29.89€26.59
$17.91ALL 1,442
66.89%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.45€3.96
$2.45ALL 198
81.63%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.02€0.90
$1.19ALL 95.6
-14.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.92€15.05
$18.29ALL 1,473
-7.49%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.25€2.00
$2.11ALL 170
6.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K€24.9K
$18.6KALL 1.5M
50.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K€25.1K
$35.1KALL 2.8M
-19.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Fier
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$205€182
$97.8ALL 7,873
109.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65€23.71
$18.56ALL 1,495
43.59%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38€27.02
$18.60ALL 1,498
63.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Fier
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$54.5€48.47
$56.4ALL 4,545
-3.45%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88€23.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42€9.27
$9.56ALL 770
9.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Fier
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$569€506
$243ALL 19.6K
134.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.6K€11.2K
$8,149ALL 656.2K
54.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Fier
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7€78.9
$49.38ALL 3,977
79.55%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46€35.99
$47.78ALL 3,847
-15.32%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$105€93.3
$96.6ALL 7,776
8.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121€108
$113ALL 9,091
7.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Fier
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$741€659
$236ALL 19.0K
214.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$655€582
$180ALL 14.5K
263.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,300€1,156
$402ALL 32.4K
222.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,148€1,021
$317ALL 25.5K
261.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,014€3,570
$1,198ALL 96.5K
235.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,460€3,078
$987ALL 79.5K
250.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Fier
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,242€1,105
$559ALL 45.0K
122.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.48
5.39
-16.88%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026
Last update for Fier: 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%
Fier
$180 18.7% ↓ 72.5%$475
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310 17.5%
Fier
$261 27.1% ↓ 15.9%$49
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$268 15.1%
Fier
$146 15.2% ↓ 45.5%$122
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262 14.7%
Fier
$135 14% ↓ 48.4%$127
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160 9%
Fier
$138 14.3% ↓ 13.7%$22
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75 4.2%
Fier
$76 7.8% ↑ 0.3%$0.2
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$45 2.5%
Fier
$28 2.9% ↓ 36.9%$17
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$1.1K 31.3%
Fier
$317 15.3% ↓ 72.4%$831
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$726 19.8%
Fier
$610 29.3% ↓ 16.1%$117
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$879 24%
Fier
$485 23.3% ↓ 44.9%$394
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$288 7.9%
Fier
$153 7.4% ↓ 46.8%$135
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$355 9.7%
Fier
$307 14.7% ↓ 13.7%$49
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$177 4.8%
Fier
$151 * 7.3% ↓ 14.4%$25
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$92 2.5%
Fier
$58 2.8% ↓ 37.7%$35
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $236 in Fier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Athens pays 122% 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 $37.00 in Fier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $261 per month, with Fier 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 Fier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Fier?
Fier wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fier the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Fier?
Average pay runs 122% 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 Fier?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $236 in Fier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Fier?
Dining out is cheaper in Fier – a meal for two runs $37.00 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 Fier?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $964 in Fier – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Fier?
At $964 in Fier versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fier but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Fier the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Fier?
Both work as nomad bases, but Fier delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $964 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fier hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Fier?
Safety-wise, Athens and Fier 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 Fier gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.