Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Isa Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Isa Town: $749 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Isa Town

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$749

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Isa Town

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $749 in Isa Town.

Athens $1,779
Isa Town $749

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,780 in Isa Town.

Athens $2,721
Isa Town $1,780

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $2,812 in Isa Town.

Athens $3,663
Isa Town $2,812

Living in Athens is roughly 138% more expensive than in Isa Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Isa Town is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$7.78 BHD 2.93

116.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$27.01 BHD 10.19

144.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.98

$6.74 BHD 2.54

66.32%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$4.66 BHD 1.76

-12.45%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$0.84 BHD 0.32

229.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.26 BHD 0.10

107.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$6.49 BHD 2.45

-12.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.32 BHD 0.50

39.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.35 BHD 0.51

5.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$5.41 BHD 2.04

-50.65%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$3.25 BHD 1.22

52.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.44

$10.78 BHD 4.07

39.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$8.16 BHD 3.08

34.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.60

$21.43 BHD 8.08

-7.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.58 BHD 0.97

-17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.63 BHD 0.99

-24.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$2.58 BHD 0.97

-48.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.59 BHD 0.98

-16.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$2.68 BHD 1.01

-60.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.63 BHD 0.62

-29.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.55 BHD 0.21

96.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$1.04 BHD 0.39

-18.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.05 BHD 0.39

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

$13.07 BHD 4.93

133.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$5.32 BHD 2.01

-28.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.83 BHD 0.31

181.93%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$13.4K BHD 5,060

98.28%

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

$202 €180

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

$26.81 €23.87

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.14

$40.40 BHD 15.23

-24.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.14

$106 BHD 39.96

-48.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$10.43 BHD 3.93

0.10%

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

$568 €505

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$7,823 BHD 2,950

94.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.7

$39.49 BHD 14.89

129.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.01

$13.14 BHD 4.96

199.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$79.1 BHD 29.84

32.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$107 BHD 40.17

21.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €577

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$1,342 BHD 506

-5.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$1,079 BHD 407

3.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,561

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,921

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

$1,044 BHD 394

19.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Isa Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Isa Town

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Isa Town

–

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Isa Town

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Isa Town

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Isa Town

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Isa Town

–

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Isa Town

–

Cost Breakdown

Athens pays 19% 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 $27 in Isa Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $277 per month, with Isa Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇧🇭 Isa Town

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

36,876

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Athens Isa Town 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Isa Town

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Isa Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isa Town wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Isa Town the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Isa Town – a meal for two runs $27 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Isa Town runs roughly 57% less than in Athens. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $749 in Isa Town versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isa Town but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Isa Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Isa Town are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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