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: $1,834 in Athens versus $1,636 in Ilion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Athens versus $2,575 in Ilion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Athens versus $3,515 in Ilion.

Living in Athens is roughly 12% more expensive than in Ilion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 33% above, Ilion 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 €15.26

$14.03 €12.10

26.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.8

$62.7 €54.1

12.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.05

$9.14 €7.88

27.46%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.74

$4.24 €3.66

2.12%

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

$2.97 €2.56

$2.31 €1.99

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.50

$0.61 €0.52

-4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$5.85 €5.05

0.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.94

$5.65 €4.87

1.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.65 €1.42

18.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.48 €1.27

4.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$2.89 €2.49

0.69%

Eggs

$4.63 €3.99

$5.10 €4.39

-9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.58

$12.88 €11.10

22.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 €9.49

$11.26 €9.71

-2.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.46

$19.16 €16.52

-0.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.26 €1.95

-0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.98 €1.71

6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.43 €1.24

2.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.21 €1.04

-2.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €1.00

$0.88 €0.76

31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$0.90 €0.78

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.91

$5.45 €4.69

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 €9.07

$8.24 €7.10

27.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.78 €1.53

25.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.48 €3.00

-20.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.43 €1.23

-3.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 €27.56

$48.62 €41.91

-34.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.68 €4.03

-0.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.03 €0.89

2.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €14.95

$14.23 €12.27

21.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.28 €1.96

2.19%

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

$28.6K €24.7K

$29.0K €25.0K

-1.36%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$25.4K €21.9K

16.38%

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

$229 €197

$224 €193

2.01%

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

$28.03 €24.16

$27.52 €23.72

1.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.16 €27.72

$28.92 €24.93

11.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.67

$51.8 €44.66

8.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 €24.38

$25.80 €22.24

9.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.46

$9.09 €7.83

20.68%

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

$597 €515

$491 €424

21.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.7K

$4,781 €4,121

184.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €80.6

$70.7 €60.9

32.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €35.91

$36.86 €31.78

13.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.3

$104 €89.5

2.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$111 €95.6

20.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €637

$621 €535

18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €570

$519 €447

27.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,155

$1,208 €1,041

10.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,011

$1,034 €892

13.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,006 €3,453

$3,702 €3,192

8.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,438 €2,964

$3,042 €2,622

13.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,293 €1,115

$1,327 €1,144

-2.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.4

-0.68%

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

Last update for Athens: September 5, 2026

Last update for Ilion: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Athens and $621 in Ilion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Athens vs $63.0 in Ilion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $308 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 12% 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.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Ilion. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $739 in Athens versus $621 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 $63.0 versus $71.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,834 per month in Athens versus $1,636 in Ilion – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,636 in Ilion versus $1,834 in Athens, a $3,000 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 $1,636 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 12% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.