Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Heraklion Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Heraklion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,705 in Athens versus $1,550 in Heraklion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,630 in Athens versus $2,446 in Heraklion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,556 in Athens versus $3,343 in Heraklion.

Living in Athens is roughly 10% more expensive than in Heraklion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 28% above, Heraklion 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.92

$13.63 €11.92

25.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €55.6

$58.1 €50.8

9.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 €8.99

$11.74 €10.27

-12.44%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.82

$3.85 €3.37

13.51%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.22 €1.94

7.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.59

$0.57 €0.50

17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €4.97

$5.83 €5.10

-2.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.95

$5.94 €5.20

-4.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.91 €1.67

0.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.46 €1.28

-6.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.46

$2.76 €2.41

1.81%

Eggs

$5.12 €4.48

$5.57 €4.87

-8.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 €12.96

$16.85 €14.74

-12.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 €9.87

$11.32 €9.90

-0.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 €13.28

$14.85 €12.99

2.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$2.28 €2.00

-3.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.09 €1.83

-0.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.49 €1.30

6.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.07

$1.81 €1.58

30.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.28 €1.12

10.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.58 €1.38

-25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.08

$0.88 €0.77

39.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.89

$0.71 €0.62

43.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.89

$5.41 €4.73

3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 €8.79

$7.36 €6.44

36.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.13 €1.86

-4.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.50

$3.40 €2.97

-15.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.64 €1.44

-17.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.50 €30.18

$46.23 €40.45

-25.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 €4.03

$4.69 €4.10

-1.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.13 €14.98

$11.74 €10.27

45.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.78

$2.08 €1.82

-1.92%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K €25.5K

$34.3K €30.0K

-15.16%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.6K €25.9K

$26.5K €23.2K

11.59%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$217 €190

$218 €191

-0.35%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.37 €23.94

$23.34 €20.42

17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.44 €30.13

$36.62 €32.03

-5.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €49.53

$51.2 €44.79

10.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.46 €23.15

$40.52 €35.45

-34.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 €9.13

$9.28 €8.12

12.39%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$561 €491

$423 €370

32.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,691

$4,108 €3,594

169.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 €80.6

$98.6 €86.3

-6.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.84 €40.98

$46.06 €40.29

1.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €87.7

$88.1 €77.1

13.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €105

$135 €118

-11.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 €569

$551 €482

18.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 €500

$420 €367

36.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 €1,039

$1,051 €919

13.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 €887

$886 €775

14.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,057 €3,549

$3,913 €3,424

3.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,221 €2,818

$2,793 €2,444

15.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,327 €1,161

$1,123 €983

18.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.44

12.39%

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

Last update for Athens: July 11, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Athens and $551 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 18% 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: $64.0 in Athens vs $58.0 in Heraklion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $309 per month, with Heraklion cheaper across the board.

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 Heraklion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heraklion wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Heraklion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $650 in Athens versus $551 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Heraklion – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,705 per month in Athens versus $1,550 in Heraklion – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,550 in Heraklion versus $1,705 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Heraklion but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Heraklion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Heraklion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,550 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Heraklion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Heraklion are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Heraklion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.