Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ilion Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ilion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,740 in Athens versus $1,504 in Ilion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,669 in Athens versus $2,273 in Ilion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,598 in Athens versus $3,041 in Ilion.

Living in Athens is roughly 16% more expensive than Ilion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 30% above, Ilion 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €14.65

$14.04 €11.97

22.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.3

$55.6 €47.43

12.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 €8.82

$8.51 €7.26

21.50%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.72

$4.16 €3.55

4.81%

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

$2.41 €2.06

$1.61 €1.37

49.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.53

$0.59 €0.50

5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.07

$5.77 €4.92

2.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 €5.05

$5.83 €4.97

1.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.57

$1.84 €1.57

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.33 €1.14

6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.48

$2.79 €2.38

4.30%

Eggs

$4.96 €4.23

$4.91 €4.18

1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.13 €12.91

$13.84 €11.80

9.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 €9.28

$10.95 €9.34

-0.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 €12.94

$15.12 €12.90

0.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.95

$2.23 €1.90

2.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.85

$2.16 €1.84

0.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.51 €1.29

4.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.48 €2.12

-8.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.37 €1.16

0.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €0.99

$1.21 €1.03

-3.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.09

$0.91 €0.77

40.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.13 €0.97

-10.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.50 €4.70

$5.69 €4.85

-3.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 €9.56

$8.46 €7.22

32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.71

$2.02 €1.72

-0.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.54

$2.94 €2.51

1.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 €1.19

$1.59 €1.36

-11.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.21 €30.04

$46.73 €39.86

-24.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €3.85

$4.14 €3.53

8.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.32 €14.78

$11.79 €10.06

46.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.14 €1.83

-3.74%

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

$28.6K €24.4K

-0.02%

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

$30.4K €25.9K

$25.1K €21.4K

20.88%

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

$213 €182

$213 €181

0.26%

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

$27.70 €23.63

$26.90 €22.94

2.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.80 €30.53

$32.33 €27.57

10.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 €47.22

$48.30 €41.20

14.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.86 €22.06

$25.92 €22.11

-0.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.74

$9.63 €8.22

6.44%

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

$552 €471

$510 €435

8.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,440

$6,424 €5,479

72.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €79.8

$91.0 €77.7

2.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 €40.76

$32.60 €27.81

46.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.4

$100 €85.7

2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$114 €97.3

6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 €546

$496 €423

29.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 €485

$386 €329

47.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 €995

$774 €660

50.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 €868

$610 €520

66.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,244 €3,620

$3,800 €3,241

11.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,498 €2,984

$3,102 €2,646

12.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,370 €1,169

$1,346 €1,148

1.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.8

3.96%

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

Last update for Athens: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ilion: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Athens and $496 in Ilion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 2% 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: $63 in Athens vs $56 in Ilion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $303 per month, with Ilion 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 Ilion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilion wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ilion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athens pays 2% more on average, 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: $640 in Athens versus $496 in Ilion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ilion – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $63.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,740 per month in Athens versus $1,504 in Ilion – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,504 in Ilion versus $1,740 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ilion but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Ilion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ilion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,504 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ilion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Ilion 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 Ilion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.