Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ioannina

For one person, living is cheaper in Ioannina: $1,391 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Ioannina
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Ioannina Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Ioannina

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Ioannina

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $1,391 in Ioannina.

Athens $1,759
Ioannina $1,391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $2,114 in Ioannina.

Athens $2,696
Ioannina $2,114

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $2,836 in Ioannina.

Athens $3,632
Ioannina $2,836

Living in Athens is roughly 26% more expensive than in Ioannina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 29% above, Ioannina 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.28

$17.02 €15.25

0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €59.0

$33.11 €29.67

98.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 €9.82

$10.97 €9.83

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.68

$4.00 €3.58

2.50%

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

$2.83 €2.54

$2.91 €2.61

-2.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.53

$0.55 €0.49

7.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.04

$4.38 €3.93

28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.08

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.75 €1.56

8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.14 €1.02

28.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$3.83 €3.43

-29.24%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.52

$3.55 €3.18

41.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €13.51

$10.86 €9.73

38.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.21

$9.27 €8.30

10.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.38

$12.23 €10.96

58.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.40 €2.15

-11.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.04 €1.83

-6.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.21 €1.08

16.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.66 €2.39

-19.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.94

$1.17 €1.05

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.02 €0.91

10.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.02 €0.92

10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.85 €0.76

-4.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 €4.94

$5.71 €5.12

-3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.95

$6.83 €6.12

46.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$1.98 €1.77

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$3.27 €2.93

-30.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.47 €1.31

-10.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 €27.48

$51.2 €45.89

-40.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.92

$4.30 €3.86

1.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.09 €0.98

-5.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.05 €15.28

$6.77 €6.06

151.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.11 €1.89

10.90%

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

$28.3K €25.3K

$27.6K €24.7K

2.55%

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

$26.8K €24.0K

$27.0K €24.2K

-0.83%

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

$200 €179

$214 €192

-6.49%

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

$25.17 €22.56

$23.07 €20.68

9.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 €26.57

$29.06 €26.04

2.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €45.20

$45.05 €40.37

11.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.94 €23.24

$45.58 €40.84

-43.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.43

$8.69 €7.79

21.06%

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

$576 €516

$329 €295

75.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.6K

$8,829 €7,912

46.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €80.4

$66.1 €59.2

35.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 €35.46

$45.90 €41.13

-13.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.5

$76.9 €68.9

37.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$129 €116

-4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €663

$462 €414

60.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €576

$323 €289

99.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,169

$688 €616

89.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €1,004

$604 €541

85.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,011 €3,595

$2,397 €2,148

67.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,284 €2,943

$1,975 €1,770

66.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 €1,097

$1,082 €970

13.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.73

-5.29%

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

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ioannina: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$643 36.5%

Ioannina

$323 23.2% 49.8% $320

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.7%

Ioannina

$266 19.1% 14.7% $46

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.4%

Ioannina

$264 19% 2.8% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$255 14.5%

Ioannina

$266 19.1% 4.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.2%

Ioannina

$143 10.3% 11.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$71 4.1%

Ioannina

$62 4.5% 12.6% $9

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.6%

Ioannina

$67 4.8% 47.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Athens and $462 in Ioannina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 13% 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 in Athens vs $33 in Ioannina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $266 per month, with Ioannina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇬🇷 Ioannina

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

Same time as Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

89,061

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 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 Ioannina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ioannina wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ioannina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $740 in Athens versus $462 in Ioannina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ioannina – a meal for two runs $33 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 $1,391 in Ioannina – Ioannina is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ioannina 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.

Safety-wise, Athens and Ioannina are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ioannina wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.