Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Florence

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $2,395 in Florence, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Florence
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,395
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Florence

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $2,395 in Florence.

  • Athens $1,806
  • Florence $2,395

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $3,671 in Florence.

  • Athens $2,731
  • Florence $3,671

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $4,947 in Florence.

  • Athens $3,656
  • Florence $4,947

Living in Athens costs roughly 25% less than in Florence, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 35% above, Florence 79% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Florence
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.85
$27.37 €24.40
-39.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €59.0
$77.3 €68.9
-14.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.06 €9.86
$14.54 €12.97
-23.93%
Cappuccino
$4.14 €3.69
$2.29 €2.04
80.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.50
$3.20 €2.85
-12.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$1.44 €1.28
-60.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.03
$6.64 €5.92
-15.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.86
$7.99 €7.13
-31.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Florence
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.74
$1.92 €1.72
2.08%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.25
$2.55 €2.27
-44.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 €2.53
$2.90 €2.58
-2.41%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.49
$4.82 €4.30
4.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.35 €13.68
$26.17 €23.33
-41.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.34 €9.22
$12.23 €10.91
-15.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.97 €16.92
$25.48 €22.72
-25.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$2.94 €2.62
-26.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$2.63 €2.34
-27.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$3.35 €2.99
-58.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.32 €2.96
-33.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$2.23 €1.99
-50.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.00
$1.86 €1.66
-39.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.89 €1.68
-41.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$0.70 €0.63
18.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.60 €4.99
$7.47 €6.66
-25.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 €9.08
$7.83 €6.98
30.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.95
$2.00 €1.78
9.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.18
$3.13 €2.79
-21.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Florence
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.07 €1.85
-33.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.87 €27.52
$43.27 €38.58
-28.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.90
$3.78 €3.37
15.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.26 €1.12
-17.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.11 €15.26
$30.89 €27.54
-44.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.06
$2.09 €1.86
10.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$35.9K €32.0K
-22.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$35.3K €31.5K
-20.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Florence
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €187
$247 €220
-14.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.70 €23.80
$11.59 €10.33
130.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.13 €26.86
$33.90 €30.23
-11.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Florence
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.6 €48.68
$64.4 €57.4
-15.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.03 €23.21
$20.77 €18.52
25.32%
Cinema Ticket
$10.78 €9.61
$13.02 €11.61
-17.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Florence
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$575 €513
$745 €665
-22.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K €11.7K
$17.0K €15.2K
-22.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Florence
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 €83.1
$96.5 €86.0
-3.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.68 €36.27
$38.82 €34.62
4.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.8
$108 €96.3
-3.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €114
$146 €131
-12.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Florence
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €674
$1,570 €1,400
-51.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €582
$1,043 €930
-37.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,153
$2,766 €2,467
-53.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,163 €1,037
$1,833 €1,634
-36.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,008 €3,574
$6,288 €5,607
-36.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,452 €3,078
$3,951 €3,523
-12.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Florence
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,243 €1,109
$2,005 €1,788
-37.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.16
41.77%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Florence: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$652
Florence
$1K 59.9% $391
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$315
Florence
$411 30.5% $96
Eating Out
Athens
$269
Florence
$358 33.1% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$267
Florence
$292 9.6% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$165
Florence
$175 6.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$76
Florence
$90 18.7% $14
Getting Around
Athens
$46
Florence
$62 34.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $1,570 in Florence. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Florence pays 61% 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: $66.0 in Athens vs $77.0 in Florence for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $411 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇮🇹 Florence
🕒 Local time
10:01 10:01 AM
09:01 9:01 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
382,808
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Florence 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Florence

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 Florence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Florence?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Florence. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Florence?
On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Florence. 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 Florence?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Athens versus $1,570 in Florence. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Florence?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $77.0 in Florence. 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 Florence?
All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $2,395 in Florence – a 33% 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 Florence?
At $1,806 in Athens versus $2,395 in Florence, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Florence. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Florence?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Florence?
Safety-wise, Athens and Florence 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Florence. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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