Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Guelma

For one person, living is cheaper in Guelma: $523 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Guelma
🇩🇿 Algeria
$523
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Guelma

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $523 in Guelma.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Guelma $523

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $849 in Guelma.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Guelma $849

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $1,176 in Guelma.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Guelma $1,176

Living in Athens is roughly 240% more expensive than in Guelma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Guelma is 61% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Guelma
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$3.15 DZD 421
429.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$16.77 DZD 2,245
304.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$3.86 DZD 517
188.60%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$0.69 DZD 91.7
484.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$0.59 DZD 79.1
369.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$0.24 DZD 31.92
129.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$1.57 DZD 210
265.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$2.18 DZD 292
150.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Guelma
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$0.87 DZD 117
109.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$0.15 DZD 19.62
820.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$1.15 DZD 154
143.48%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$1.19 DZD 159
305.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$8.00 DZD 1,071
88.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$4.01 DZD 536
165.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$14.59 DZD 1,953
26.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.02 DZD 270
8.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$2.69 DZD 360
-29.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.07 DZD 143
28.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$0.96 DZD 129
118.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.63 DZD 84.0
71.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.45 DZD 60.4
148.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.77 DZD 103
45.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.25 DZD 33.57
252.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$2.59 DZD 347
111.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$6.52 DZD 873
55.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.08 DZD 145
97.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.85 DZD 248
21.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Guelma
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$0.24 DZD 32.10
466.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$5.76 DZD 771
418.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$0.57 DZD 75.9
680.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$0.45 DZD 60.1
126.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$5.31 DZD 711
218.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$0.36 DZD 47.73
525.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$31.9K DZD 4.3M
-12.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$34.3K DZD 4.6M
-17.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Guelma
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$36.43 DZD 4,877
461.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$9.29 DZD 1,244
186.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$12.07 DZD 1,616
151.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Guelma
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$22.53 DZD 3,016
141.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$4.39 DZD 587
137.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Guelma
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$337 DZD 45.2K
68.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$4,258 DZD 570.0K
195.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Guelma
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$31.79 DZD 4,256
178.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$34.13 DZD 4,569
18.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$69.6 DZD 9,315
50.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$80.8 DZD 10.8K
50.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Guelma
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$142 DZD 19.0K
421.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$92.4 DZD 12.4K
608.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$267 DZD 35.8K
386.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$197 DZD 26.3K
483.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$959 DZD 128.4K
318.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$1,053 DZD 140.9K
228.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Guelma
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$302 DZD 40.4K
311.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5.3
-15.47%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Guelma: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Guelma
$92 85.9% $562
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Guelma
$174 44% $137
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Guelma
$60 77.4% $208
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Guelma
$58 77.9% $204
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Guelma
$97 39.1% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Guelma
$31 58.4% $44
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Guelma
$9.5 78.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $142 in Guelma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 311% 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 $17.00 in Guelma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $174 per month, with Guelma cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇩🇿 Guelma
🕒 Local time
07:09 7:09 AM
05:09 5:09 AM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
120,847
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Guelma 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Guelma

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 Guelma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Guelma?
Guelma wins on cost – living expenses run 240% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guelma the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Guelma?
Average pay runs 311% 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 Guelma?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $142 in Guelma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Guelma?
Dining out is cheaper in Guelma – a meal for two runs $17.00 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 Guelma?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $523 in Guelma – a 240% 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 Guelma?
At $523 in Guelma versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Guelma but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Guelma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Guelma?
Both work as nomad bases, but Guelma delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $523 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guelma hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Guelma?
Safety-wise, Athens and Guelma 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 Guelma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 240% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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