Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Johnson City, TN Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Johnson City, TN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,696 in Athens versus $2,069 in Johnson City, TN.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,642 in Athens versus $3,019 in Johnson City, TN.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,588 in Athens versus $3,968 in Johnson City, TN.

Living in Athens costs roughly 18% less than in Johnson City, TN, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 27% above, Johnson City, TN 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 €15.05

$12.78 $12.78

36.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €54.7

$49.26 $49.26

28.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.14

$11.80 $11.80

-10.00%

Cappuccino

$4.34 €3.73

$3.79 $3.79

14.51%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$2.10 $2.10

18.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$1.74 $1.74

-61.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 €5.07

$5.06 $5.06

16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.01

$5.85 $5.85

-0.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.00 $1.00

91.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$3.83 $3.83

-63.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.49

$3.06 $3.06

-5.23%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.37

$3.28 $3.28

54.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 €12.61

$7.49 $7.49

95.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €9.73

$8.43 $8.43

34.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 €12.97

$13.30 $13.30

13.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.01 $4.01

-42.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.62 $1.62

33.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$3.96 $3.96

-61.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €1.97

$3.61 $3.61

-36.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.44 $2.44

-44.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$3.65 $3.65

-67.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.86 $1.86

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$2.22 $2.22

-53.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.81

$7.33 $7.33

-23.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 €10.11

$13.20 $13.20

-10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.62 $1.62

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.49

$4.09 $4.09

-29.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.21

$2.56 $2.56

-44.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €29.67

$37.08 $37.08

-6.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.97

$5.40 $5.40

-14.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.48 $1.48

-25.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.33 €14.91

$64.1 $64.1

-72.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$0.78 $0.78

174.36%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$29.9K $29.9K

-4.90%

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

$30.4K €26.1K

$22.4K $22.4K

35.52%

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

$219 €188

$151 $151

45.20%

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

$26.82 €23.07

$74.6 $74.6

-64.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.71 €29.86

$52.1 $52.1

-33.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 €49.09

$47.39 $47.39

20.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.85

$20.31 $20.31

30.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €8.89

$12.94 $12.94

-20.17%

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

$552 €475

$909 $909

-39.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,686

$14.7K $14.7K

-23.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €79.7

$39.32 $39.32

135.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.61 €40.95

$36.77 $36.77

29.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.1

$62.7 $62.7

59.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$116 $116

4.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 €568

$1,182 $1,182

-44.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 €501

$1,023 $1,023

-43.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 €1,016

$2,035 $2,035

-41.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €885

$1,636 $1,636

-37.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 €3,539

$2,156 $2,156

90.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,388 €2,914

$2,218 $2,218

52.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,342 €1,154

$3,409 $3,409

-60.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

6.15

-18.86%

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

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Athens and $1,182 in Johnson City, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johnson City, TN pays 154% 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 $49.00 in Johnson City, TN. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $333, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

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 Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Johnson City, TN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Johnson City, TN earns 154% less. 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: $660 in Athens versus $1,182 in Johnson City, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $49.00 in Johnson City, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,696 per month in Athens versus $2,069 in Johnson City, TN – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,696 in Athens versus $2,069 in Johnson City, TN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Johnson City, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,696 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Johnson City, TN 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Johnson City, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.