Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Horta

For one person, living is cheaper in Horta: $1,206 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Horta
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,206
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Horta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $1,206 in Horta.

  • Athens $1,806
  • Horta $1,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $1,787 in Horta.

  • Athens $2,731
  • Horta $1,787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $2,367 in Horta.

  • Athens $3,656
  • Horta $2,367

Living in Athens is roughly 50% more expensive than in Horta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 35% above, Horta is 10% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Horta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.87
$7.99 €7.13
108.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €59.1
$31.09 €27.74
112.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.06 €9.87
$8.29 €7.40
33.41%
Cappuccino
$4.14 €3.69
$2.25 €2.01
84.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.50
$1.91 €1.71
46.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$1.39 €1.24
-58.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.03
$2.76 €2.47
104.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.87
$3.35 €2.99
62.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Horta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.07 €0.96
83.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.47 €1.31
-4.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 €2.53
$1.60 €1.43
76.88%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.50
$4.37 €3.90
15.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.35 €13.70
$10.77 €9.61
42.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.34 €9.23
$7.72 €6.89
33.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.97 €16.93
$15.12 €13.49
25.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$2.06 €1.83
5.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.34 €1.19
42.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.87 €1.67
-26.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.86 €2.55
-23.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.85 €1.65
-40.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.00
$1.91 €1.71
-40.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.53 €1.36
-28.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$0.83 €0.75
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.60 €4.99
$5.34 €4.77
4.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 €9.09
$5.64 €5.03
80.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.21 €1.08
80.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.19
$2.10 €1.88
16.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Horta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.98 €1.77
-30.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.87 €27.55
$40.47 €36.12
-23.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.90
$4.16 €3.71
5.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$0.93 €0.83
11.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.11 €15.27
$17.81 €15.89
-3.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.42 €2.16
-4.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$32.9K €29.3K
-14.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$35.8K €31.9K
-21.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Horta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €187
$121 €108
73.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.70 €23.83
$20.13 €17.97
32.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.13 €26.89
$49.19 €43.90
-38.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Horta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.6 €48.72
$47.92 €42.77
13.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.03 €23.23
$16.59 €14.80
56.90%
Cinema Ticket
$10.78 €9.62
$5.00 €4.47
115.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Horta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$575 €513
$529 €472
8.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K €11.7K
$10.7K €9,549
22.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Horta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 €83.1
$77.4 €69.1
20.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.68 €36.30
$23.32 €20.81
74.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.9
$54.2 €48.39
91.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$104 €93.1
22.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Horta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €674
$497 €444
51.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €582
$394 €352
65.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,154
$751 €670
72.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,163 €1,038
$653 €583
78.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,008 €3,577
$3,033 €2,707
32.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,452 €3,081
$2,276 €2,031
51.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Horta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,243 €1,110
$966 €862
28.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.67
22.07%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Horta: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$652
Horta
$394 39.6% $258
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$315
Horta
$253 19.7% $62
Eating Out
Athens
$269
Horta
$150 44.4% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$267
Horta
$190 28.6% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$165
Horta
$117 29.2% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$76
Horta
$58 23.9% $18
Getting Around
Athens
$46
Horta
$57 24.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $497 in Horta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 29% 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 $31.00 in Horta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $253 per month, with Horta cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇵🇹 Horta
🕒 Local time
13:04 1:04 PM
10:04 10:04 AM
3 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
14,334
💱 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 Horta 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Horta

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 Horta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Horta?
Horta wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Horta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Horta?
Average pay runs 29% 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 Horta?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Athens versus $497 in Horta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Horta?
Dining out is cheaper in Horta – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $66.0 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 Horta?
All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $1,206 in Horta – a 50% 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 Horta?
At $1,206 in Horta versus $1,806 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Horta but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Horta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Horta?
Both work as nomad bases, but Horta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,206 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Horta hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Horta?
Safety-wise, Athens and Horta 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 Horta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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