Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Karak

For one person, living is cheaper in Karak: $446 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Athens, Greece
Karak, Pakistan
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,779
/mo nomad
Karak
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$446
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Karak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $446 in Karak.

  • Athens $1,779
  • Karak $446

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $661 in Karak.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Karak $661

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $876 in Karak.

  • Athens $3,663
  • Karak $876

Living in Athens is roughly 299% more expensive than in Karak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Karak is 67% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Karak
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.99
$0.74 PKR 206
2174.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0 €58.8
$7.27 PKR 2,012
807.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.21 €9.99
$5.38 PKR 1,489
108.36%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.75 PKR 209
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.84 PKR 1,891
-
Cappuccino
$4.08 €3.64
$0.52 PKR 143
684.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.47
$0.32 PKR 87.2
765.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.48
$0.21 PKR 58.1
157.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.70 €5.08
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.26 €5.58
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Karak
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 €1.64
$1.01 PKR 278
82.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 €1.27
$0.53 PKR 146
169.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.67 €2.38
$1.07 PKR 295
149.53%
Eggs
$4.95 €4.41
$1.11 PKR 308
345.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.09 €13.45
$1.78 PKR 493
747.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.99 €9.79
$2.90 PKR 803
278.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.77 €17.61
$4.40 PKR 1,218
349.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$0.71 PKR 196
198.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$0.56 PKR 156
253.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 €1.19
$0.69 PKR 190
92.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$0.55 PKR 152
292.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 €0.94
$0.29 PKR 81.3
265.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 €1.02
$0.38 PKR 105
202.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.97
$0.17 PKR 46.93
535.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 €0.75
$0.26 PKR 72.5
226.92%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.80 PKR 499
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.24 PKR 342
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.37 PKR 656
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.46 €4.86
$2.25 PKR 622
142.67%
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
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Karak
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.35 €1.20
$0.20 PKR 55.6
575.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.52 €27.19
$10.10 PKR 2,793
202.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 €3.39
$1.29 PKR 358
195.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 €0.92
$0.75 PKR 208
37.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.49 €14.68
$1.60 PKR 442
930.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.34 €2.09
$1.36 PKR 377
72.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K €24.7K
$22.0K PKR 6.1M
26.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K €23.7K
$23.0K PKR 6.4M
15.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Karak
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 €180
$103 PKR 28.4K
97.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.81 €23.88
$6.05 PKR 1,673
343.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.49 €27.16
$17.01 PKR 4,706
79.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Karak
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 €48.17
$14.76 PKR 4,082
266.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.40 €24.41
$8.19 PKR 2,265
234.55%
Cinema Ticket
$10.44 €9.30
$4.74 PKR 1,311
120.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Karak
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €506
$42.84 PKR 11.9K
1224.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.2K €13.5K
$1,047 PKR 289.5K
1350.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Karak
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.7 €80.8
$26.28 PKR 7,269
244.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.32 €35.03
$34.20 PKR 9,461
14.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.7
$97.8 PKR 27.0K
7.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 €115
$40.84 PKR 11.3K
215.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Karak
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$742 €661
$138 PKR 38.1K
438.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$648 €578
$85.6 PKR 23.7K
657.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,271 €1,132
$264 PKR 72.9K
382.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 €999
$181 PKR 50.0K
520.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,999 €3,562
$815 PKR 225.5K
390.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,281 €2,923
$496 PKR 137.2K
561.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Karak
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 €1,109
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.44
13.08
-66.06%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Karak: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$648
Karak
$86 86.8% $563
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$316
Karak
$75 76.3% $241
Eating Out
Athens
$272
Karak
$30 88.8% $241
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Karak
$126 51.6% $134
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$164
Karak
$90 45.3% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Karak
$24 67.7% $51
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Karak
$16 64.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $138 in Karak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $7 in Karak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $75 per month, with Karak cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇵🇰 Karak
🕒 Local time
01:51 1:51 AM
04:51 4:51 AM
3 h ahead of Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
51,149
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Karak 4,270 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Karak

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 Karak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Karak?
Karak wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Karak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Athens and in Karak?
You’d need roughly $2,669 in Athens and $670 in Karak 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 Karak?
Rent for a central apartment: $742 in Athens versus $138 in Karak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Karak?
Dining out is cheaper in Karak – a meal for two runs $7 versus $66 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 Karak?
All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $446 in Karak – Karak is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Athens or in Karak?
At $446 in Karak versus $1,779 in Athens, a $800 budget is realistic in Karak but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Karak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Athens or Karak?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Karak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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