Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Karditsa Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Karditsa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,760 in Athens versus $1,355 in Karditsa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,636 in Athens versus $2,018 in Karditsa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,513 in Athens versus $2,680 in Karditsa.

Living in Athens is roughly 30% more expensive than Karditsa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 32% above, Karditsa 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.53 €15.10

$11.52 €9.92

52.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 €53.9

$55.4 €47.71

12.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.07

$8.31 €7.16

26.71%

Cappuccino

$4.28 €3.69

$3.15 €2.72

35.87%

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

$2.39 €2.06

$1.60 €1.38

49.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.55

$0.56 €0.48

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.12

$4.71 €4.06

26.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$4.52 €3.89

27.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.70 €1.46

13.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.36 €1.17

0.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.28 €1.10

122.66%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.24

$3.29 €2.83

49.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.11 €13.01

$11.44 €9.85

32.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 €9.53

$9.18 €7.90

20.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 €12.95

$13.78 €11.87

9.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.72 €1.48

29.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.11 €1.81

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.49 €1.28

4.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$0.90 €0.78

162.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.91 €0.78

57.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.76 €0.66

55.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.05

$0.89 €0.77

37.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.01 €0.87

3.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.56 €4.79

$5.58 €4.81

-0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 €8.95

$6.49 €5.59

60.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.81

$0.94 €0.81

123.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.47

$0.96 €0.82

197.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.58 €1.36

-14.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.60 €29.79

$46.68 €40.19

-25.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 €4.07

$2.34 €2.02

101.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.72

$11.56 €9.95

47.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.12 €1.82

-0.47%

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

$28.9K €24.9K

$31.9K €27.5K

-9.35%

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

$30.1K €26.0K

$24.9K €21.4K

21.03%

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

$215 €185

$219 €189

-1.92%

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

$26.97 €23.23

$21.74 €18.72

24.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.50 €29.71

$33.32 €28.69

3.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.68

$38.65 €33.28

46.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.04 €22.43

$26.36 €22.70

-1.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 €9.00

$8.21 €7.07

27.28%

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

$559 €481

$525 €452

6.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,537

$6,351 €5,469

74.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 €80.1

$63.6 €54.8

46.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.88 €40.37

$31.85 €27.42

47.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.7

$67.0 €57.7

50.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$104 €89.2

18.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 €562

$504 €434

29.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 €488

$382 €329

48.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 €1,004

$780 €672

49.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 €882

$628 €541

63.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,088 €3,520

$3,139 €2,703

30.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 €2,872

$2,541 €2,188

31.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,342 €1,155

$875 €753

53.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.42

12.90%

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

Last update for Athens: June 16, 2026

Last update for Karditsa: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $653 in Athens and $504 in Karditsa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 53% 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: $63.0 in Athens vs $55.0 in Karditsa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $242 per month, with Karditsa 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 Karditsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karditsa wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karditsa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athens pays 53% 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: $653 in Athens versus $504 in Karditsa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Karditsa – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $63.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,760 per month in Athens versus $1,355 in Karditsa – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,355 in Karditsa versus $1,760 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Karditsa but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Karditsa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Karditsa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,355 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Karditsa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Karditsa 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 Karditsa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.