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: $1,834 in Athens versus $1,353 in Karditsa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Athens versus $2,061 in Karditsa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Athens versus $2,769 in Karditsa.

Living in Athens is roughly 36% more expensive than in Karditsa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 33% above, Karditsa is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 €15.26

$11.50 €9.91

53.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.8

$64.1 €55.2

10.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.05

$7.98 €6.88

45.99%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.74

$3.29 €2.84

31.61%

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

$2.97 €2.56

$2.08 €1.80

42.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.50

$0.60 €0.52

-3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$4.62 €3.99

26.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.94

$5.38 €4.64

6.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.59 €1.37

23.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.36 €1.17

13.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$1.32 €1.13

120.45%

Eggs

$4.63 €3.99

$3.43 €2.96

34.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.58

$11.67 €10.06

35.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 €9.49

$10.18 €8.78

8.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.46

$14.98 €12.91

27.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.74 €1.50

28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.15 €1.86

-2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.41 €1.21

4.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.88 €0.76

151.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$0.97 €0.84

19.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$0.73 €0.63

61.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €1.00

$0.95 €0.82

22.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$1.08 €0.93

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.91

$5.41 €4.66

5.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 €9.07

$7.01 €6.05

50.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$0.95 €0.82

134.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.39

$0.95 €0.82

191.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.37 €1.18

0.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 €27.56

$49.06 €42.29

-34.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.02

$2.30 €1.99

103.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.19 €1.03

-10.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €14.95

$14.78 €12.74

17.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.20 €1.90

5.91%

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

$28.6K €24.7K

$29.1K €25.1K

-1.82%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$24.5K €21.1K

20.76%

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

$229 €197

$169 €146

35.27%

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

$28.03 €24.16

$25.54 €22.01

9.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.16 €27.72

$28.84 €24.86

11.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.67

$39.83 €34.33

41.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 €24.38

$25.73 €22.18

9.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.46

$8.17 €7.04

34.27%

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

$597 €515

$505 €436

18.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.7K

$4,699 €4,050

189.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €80.6

$70.9 €61.1

32.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €35.91

$36.75 €31.67

13.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.3

$80.1 €69.0

32.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$105 €90.8

26.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €637

$505 €435

46.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €570

$406 €350

63.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,155

$770 €664

74.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,011

$660 €569

77.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,006 €3,453

$2,895 €2,495

38.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,438 €2,964

$2,422 €2,087

41.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,293 €1,115

$860 €741

50.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.36

0.23%

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

Last update for Athens: September 5, 2026

Last update for Karditsa: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Athens and $505 in Karditsa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 50% 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: $71.0 in Athens vs $64.0 in Karditsa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $253 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 36% 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.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Athens, 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: $739 in Athens versus $505 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 $64.0 versus $71.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,834 per month in Athens versus $1,353 in Karditsa – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,353 in Karditsa versus $1,834 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 $1,353 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 36% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.