Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Javea

For one person, living is cheaper in Javea: $1,589 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Javea
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Javea

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,589 in Javea.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Javea $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,377 in Javea.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Javea $2,377

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,165 in Javea.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Javea $3,165

Living in Athens is roughly 12% more expensive than in Javea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Javea 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Javea
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$22.07 €19.63
-24.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$73.1 €65.0
-7.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$11.01 €9.80
1.18%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$2.12 €1.88
90.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.86 €2.55
-3.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$2.18 €1.94
-74.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$3.85 €3.42
49.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$3.62 €3.22
50.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Javea
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.06 €0.95
71.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.23 €1.10
12.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$1.44 €1.28
94.44%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$2.92 €2.60
65.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$10.08 €8.96
49.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$6.66 €5.92
59.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$11.31 €10.06
62.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.81 €1.61
21.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.46 €1.30
30.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.14 €1.02
20.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.64 €2.35
-20.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.89 €1.68
-42.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.94 €1.72
-42.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.63 €0.56
77.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.08 €0.96
-18.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$5.76 €5.13
-4.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$4.54 €4.04
123.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$0.83 €0.74
156.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.42 €1.27
58.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Javea
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.62 €1.44
-16.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$31.98 €28.45
-6.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$4.24 €3.77
4.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.18 €1.05
-13.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$24.42 €21.72
-30.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.73 €1.53
30.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$35.8K €31.8K
-21.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$29.5K €26.3K
-4.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Javea
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$131 €116
56.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$11.15 €9.92
139.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$26.46 €23.53
14.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Javea
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$44.75 €39.81
21.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$15.57 €13.85
66.22%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$6.77 €6.02
53.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Javea
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$397 €353
43.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$7,179 €6,386
75.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Javea
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$72.5 €64.5
22.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$27.54 €24.50
46.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$102 €91.1
2.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$91.0 €80.9
33.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Javea
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$1,028 €915
-27.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$686 €610
-4.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$1,767 €1,572
-26.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,006 €895
14.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$4,599 €4,091
-12.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$2,803 €2,493
23.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Javea
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.18
40.88%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Javea: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Javea
$686 4.8% $31
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Javea
$215 30.9% $96
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Javea
$282 5.1% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Javea
$168 35.7% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Javea
$132 17.4% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Javea
$58 22.6% $17
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Javea
$49 8.2% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $1,028 in Javea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $73.0 in Javea. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $215, with Javea cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇪🇸 Javea
🕒 Local time
07:08 7:08 AM
06:08 6:08 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
29,760
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Javea 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Javea

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 Javea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Javea?
Javea wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Javea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Athens and in Javea?
You'd need roughly $2,662 in Athens and $2,384 in Javea to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Javea?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $1,028 in Javea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Javea?
Dining out is cheaper in Javea – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Athens compared to Javea?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,589 in Javea – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Javea?
At $1,589 in Javea versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Javea but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Javea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Javea?
Both work as nomad bases, but Javea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,589 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Javea hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Javea?
Safety-wise, Athens and Javea are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Javea 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.

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