Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ilion

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilion: $1,564 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Ilion
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Ilion Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Ilion

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,564

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Ilion

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $1,564 in Ilion.

Athens $1,759
Ilion $1,564

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $2,458 in Ilion.

Athens $2,696
Ilion $2,458

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $3,351 in Ilion.

Athens $3,632
Ilion $3,351

Living in Athens is roughly 13% more expensive than in Ilion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 29% above, Ilion 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.29

$13.18 €11.83

29.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €59.1

$59.3 €53.2

11.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 €9.83

$8.96 €8.03

22.32%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.68

$4.17 €3.74

-1.68%

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

$2.83 €2.54

$2.42 €2.17

16.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.53

$0.57 €0.51

3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.05

$5.69 €5.10

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.08

$5.45 €4.89

4.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.60 €1.44

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.41 €1.27

3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.57 €2.31

5.45%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.52

$5.14 €4.61

-1.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €13.53

$12.17 €10.91

23.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.22

$10.38 €9.31

-0.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.40

$18.74 €16.81

3.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.21 €1.98

-4.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.00 €1.80

-4.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.37 €1.23

2.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.15 €1.93

-0.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.94

$1.10 €0.98

-5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.11 €0.99

1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.90 €0.80

25.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$1.14 €1.02

-28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 €4.95

$5.46 €4.89

1.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.96

$7.87 €7.06

26.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$1.73 €1.55

17.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$3.21 €2.88

-28.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.35 €1.21

-2.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 €27.51

$49.57 €44.46

-38.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.92

$4.34 €3.90

0.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.99 €0.89

4.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.05 €15.29

$16.56 €14.85

2.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.26 €2.03

3.54%

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

$28.3K €25.3K

$27.4K €24.6K

3.19%

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

$26.8K €24.0K

$24.4K €21.9K

9.59%

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

$200 €179

$199 €178

0.55%

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

$25.17 €22.58

$25.82 €23.16

-2.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 €26.60

$27.73 €24.87

6.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €45.24

$50.4 €45.22

0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.94 €23.27

$25.60 €22.96

1.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.44

$9.75 €8.74

7.90%

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

$576 €517

$475 €427

21.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.6K

$4,757 €4,267

171.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €80.4

$83.6 €75.0

7.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 €35.50

$38.56 €34.59

2.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.6

$103 €92.0

2.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$107 €96.3

15.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €664

$591 €530

25.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €577

$496 €445

29.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,170

$1,190 €1,068

9.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €1,005

$976 €876

14.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,011 €3,598

$3,693 €3,313

8.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,284 €2,946

$2,904 €2,605

13.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 €1,098

$1,278 €1,146

-4.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.4

1.82%

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

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ilion: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$643 36.5%

Ilion

$496 31.7% 22.9% $147

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.7%

Ilion

$299 19.1% 4.4% $14

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.4%

Ilion

$234 15% 14% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$255 14.5%

Ilion

$252 16.1% 0.9% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.2%

Ilion

$149 9.6% 7.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$71 4.1%

Ilion

$70 4.5% 2.2% $1.6

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.6%

Ilion

$64 4.1% 41.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Athens and $591 in Ilion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $59 in Ilion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $299 per month, with Ilion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇬🇷 Ilion

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

Same time as Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

84,793

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 11% 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 4% lower in Athens. 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: $740 in Athens versus $591 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 $59 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,759 per month in Athens versus $1,564 in Ilion – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ilion gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.