Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ioannina Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ioannina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,734 in Athens versus $1,349 in Ioannina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,653 in Athens versus $2,005 in Ioannina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,572 in Athens versus $2,661 in Ioannina.

Living in Athens is roughly 29% more expensive than Ioannina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 30% above, Ioannina 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 €14.69

$17.66 €15.11

-2.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.9

$34.59 €29.61

85.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €8.77

$10.05 €8.60

1.99%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.73

$3.87 €3.31

12.66%

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

$2.46 €2.11

$2.25 €1.92

9.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.57

$0.55 €0.47

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €4.86

$4.49 €3.85

26.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 €5.07

$5.65 €4.84

4.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.48 €1.27

30.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.16

$1.19 €1.02

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.47

$2.48 €2.12

16.13%

Eggs

$4.98 €4.26

$3.43 €2.94

45.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.82 €12.68

$10.22 €8.75

45.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 €9.65

$8.15 €6.98

38.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 €12.75

$11.01 €9.42

35.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.90

$1.97 €1.69

12.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$1.87 €1.60

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.24 €1.06

27.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.05

$2.32 €1.99

3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.25 €1.07

10.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.00

$1.06 €0.90

10.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.03 €0.88

20.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.85 €0.73

18.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.68 €4.86

$5.22 €4.47

8.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 €9.52

$7.09 €6.07

56.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.95 €1.67

3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.54

$2.79 €2.39

6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.52 €1.30

-9.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 €30.00

$34.54 €29.57

1.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.02

$4.71 €4.03

-0.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €14.84

$7.13 €6.11

143.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.09 €1.79

-2.87%

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

$28.6K €24.5K

$24.7K €21.2K

15.71%

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

$29.9K €25.6K

$26.6K €22.7K

12.43%

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

$219 €187

$216 €185

1.27%

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

$27.33 €23.40

$20.66 €17.68

32.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.85 €29.84

$30.59 €26.18

13.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 €48.02

$46.09 €39.45

21.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.08 €22.32

$46.10 €39.46

-43.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.40 €8.91

$9.14 €7.82

13.79%

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

$559 €478

$341 €292

63.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,681

$8,383 €7,176

34.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.4 €79.1

$69.9 €59.9

32.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.70 €39.98

$36.87 €31.56

26.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.4

$77.7 €66.6

31.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$118 €101

4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 €557

$417 €357

55.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 €485

$308 €264

84.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,001

$684 €586

70.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 €878

$549 €470

86.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,135 €3,539

$3,133 €2,681

31.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,458 €2,960

$2,605 €2,230

32.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,330 €1,139

$1,124 €962

18.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.68

6.62%

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

Last update for Athens: April 26, 2026

Last update for Ioannina: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Athens and $417 in Ioannina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 18% 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: $64.0 in Athens vs $35.00 in Ioannina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $242 per month, with Ioannina 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 Ioannina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ioannina wins on cost – living expenses run 29% 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.

Athens pays 18% 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: $650 in Athens versus $417 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 $35.00 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,734 per month in Athens versus $1,349 in Ioannina – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,349 in Ioannina versus $1,734 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ioannina but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Ioannina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ioannina delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,349 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ioannina hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Ioannina 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 Ioannina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.