Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Fontainebleau

For one person, living is cheaper in Fontainebleau: $1,127 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Athens outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Fontainebleau
🇫🇷 France
$1,127
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Fontainebleau

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,127 in Fontainebleau.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Fontainebleau $1,127

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,529 in Fontainebleau.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Fontainebleau $2,529

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,931 in Fontainebleau.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Fontainebleau $3,931

Living in Athens is roughly 57% more expensive than in Fontainebleau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Fontainebleau is 17% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Fontainebleau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$17.58 €15.64
-5.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$66.3 €59.0
2.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$13.29 €11.82
-16.18%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$3.85 €3.42
4.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$3.13 €2.79
-11.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.65 €1.47
-66.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$8.04 €7.15
-28.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$5.64 €5.01
-3.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Fontainebleau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.32 €1.17
37.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.97 €1.76
-29.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$2.80 €2.49
-
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$4.03 €3.58
19.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$21.50 €19.12
-30.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$12.19 €10.84
-12.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$23.50 €20.90
-21.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.33 €2.96
-33.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$2.11 €1.88
-9.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.38 €2.11
-42.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$3.17 €2.82
-33.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.92 €1.71
-43.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.06 €1.83
-45.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.52 €1.36
-26.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.68 €0.61
29.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$13.91 €12.37
-60.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$7.74 €6.89
30.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$2.40 €2.13
-11.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$4.27 €3.80
-47.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Fontainebleau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$2.27 €2.02
96.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$2.09 €1.85
-51.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$24.36 €21.67
-30.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.21 €1.97
1.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$33.9K €30.2K
-17.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$34.2K €30.4K
-17.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Fontainebleau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$206 €184
-0.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$15.25 €13.57
74.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$31.23 €27.78
-2.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Fontainebleau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$22.61 €20.11
141.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$13.32 €11.85
94.29%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$10.52 €9.36
-0.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Fontainebleau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$633 €563
-10.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$8,147 €7,247
54.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Fontainebleau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$87.8 €78.1
0.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$40.29 €35.83
0.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$101 €89.7
3.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$104 €92.4
16.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Fontainebleau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$936 €833
-20.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$1,670 €1,485
-22.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,405 €1,250
-18.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Fontainebleau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$3,045 €2,709
-59.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.5
28.00%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Fontainebleau: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Fontainebleau
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Fontainebleau
$371 19.5% $61
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Fontainebleau
$297 10.9% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Fontainebleau
$253 3.3% $8.7
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Fontainebleau
$150 6.3% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Fontainebleau
$44 42.1% $32
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Fontainebleau
$13 * 71.7% $32

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 $936 in Fontainebleau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fontainebleau pays 145% 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 $66.0 in Fontainebleau. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $371, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇫🇷 Fontainebleau
🕒 Local time
23:50 11:50 PM
22:50 10:50 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
15,945
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Fontainebleau 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Fontainebleau

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 Fontainebleau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Fontainebleau?
Fontainebleau wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fontainebleau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Fontainebleau?
On paper, salaries run 145% lower in Fontainebleau. 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 Fontainebleau?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $936 in Fontainebleau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Athens and in Fontainebleau?
Childcare runs $569 in Athens versus $633 in Fontainebleau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Fontainebleau?
Dining out is cheaper in Fontainebleau – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Fontainebleau?
At $1,127 in Fontainebleau versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fontainebleau but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Fontainebleau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Fontainebleau?
Both work as nomad bases, but Fontainebleau delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,127 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fontainebleau hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Fontainebleau?
Safety-wise, Athens and Fontainebleau 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 Fontainebleau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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