Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Kastamonu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kastamonu: $1,004 a month against $1,771 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Kastamonu
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,004
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Kastamonu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $1,004 in Kastamonu.

  • Athens $1,771
  • Kastamonu $1,004

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $1,638 in Kastamonu.

  • Athens $2,736
  • Kastamonu $1,638

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $2,273 in Kastamonu.

  • Athens $3,701
  • Kastamonu $2,273

Living in Athens is roughly 76% more expensive than in Kastamonu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Kastamonu is 26% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Kastamonu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.97
$10.27 ₺509
63.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 €60.7
$59.9 ₺2,964
14.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 €10.17
$10.62 ₺526
7.63%
Cappuccino
$4.06 €3.61
$4.09 ₺202
-0.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.44
$0.77 ₺38.27
255.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 €0.47
$0.29 ₺14.23
82.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.06
$1.79 ₺88.6
217.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 €5.06
$2.07 ₺102
174.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Kastamonu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.17 ₺57.9
58.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 €1.28
$2.00 ₺98.8
-28.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$2.78 ₺138
1.44%
Eggs
$4.86 €4.32
$1.98 ₺97.8
145.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.27 €13.58
$8.19 ₺405
86.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.36 €9.21
$4.11 ₺203
152.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.10 €16.99
$26.23 ₺1,299
-27.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$2.34 ₺116
-5.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$1.85 ₺91.6
3.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 €1.25
$1.52 ₺75.3
-7.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$1.00 ₺49.45
104.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 €0.93
$0.31 ₺15.46
238.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 €1.04
$0.25 ₺12.31
368.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.83 ₺40.99
30.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 €0.75
$0.64 ₺31.66
31.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.49 €4.89
$2.17 ₺107
153.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.17 €9.05
$9.33 ₺462
9.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.61 ₺79.5
32.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.29 ₺113
-0.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Kastamonu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.37 €1.22
$0.69 ₺34.14
98.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.71 €26.43
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.39 €3.90
$2.05 ₺102
114.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 €0.89
$0.68 ₺33.71
47.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 €14.79
$6.39 ₺317
160.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.38 €2.11
$1.28 ₺63.6
85.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K €25.3K
$40.5K ₺2.0M
-29.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K €24.2K
$39.9K ₺2.0M
-31.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Kastamonu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 €181
$90.3 ₺4,472
125.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.79 €23.83
$4.31 ₺213
521.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.16 €26.82
$12.49 ₺618
141.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Kastamonu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.7 €47.74
$57.1 ₺2,826
-5.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.40 €23.48
$3.11 ₺154
748.87%
Cinema Ticket
$10.59 €9.42
$4.10 ₺203
158.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Kastamonu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$566 €504
$257 ₺12.7K
120.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.4K
$10.0K ₺495.3K
28.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Kastamonu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 €79.3
$41.09 ₺2,034
116.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 €36.01
$30.69 ₺1,519
31.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.3
$71.6 ₺3,545
44.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$59.3 ₺2,937
109.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Kastamonu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 €648
$426 ₺21.1K
71.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$647 €576
$300 ₺14.8K
116.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,328 €1,181
$766 ₺37.9K
73.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$552 ₺27.4K
111.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,024 €3,579
$1,401 ₺69.3K
187.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,483 €3,098
$1,041 ₺51.5K
234.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Kastamonu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,240 €1,103
$1,275 ₺63.1K
-2.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
49
-90.86%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Kastamonu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$647
Kastamonu
$300 53.7% $348
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$312
Kastamonu
$252 19.3% $60
Eating Out
Athens
$271
Kastamonu
$180 33.4% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Kastamonu
$107 58.9% $153
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$161
Kastamonu
$91 43.3% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Kastamonu
$65 12.8% $9.6
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Kastamonu
$8.2 * 81.6% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $426 in Kastamonu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kastamonu pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $60.0 in Kastamonu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $252 per month, with Kastamonu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇹🇷 Kastamonu
🕒 Local time
08:28 8:28 AM
09:28 9:28 AM
1 h ahead of Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
152,541
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Kastamonu 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Kastamonu

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 Kastamonu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Kastamonu?
Kastamonu wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kastamonu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Kastamonu?
On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Kastamonu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Kastamonu?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Athens versus $426 in Kastamonu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Athens and in Kastamonu?
Childcare runs $566 in Athens versus $257 in Kastamonu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Kastamonu?
Dining out is cheaper in Kastamonu – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Kastamonu?
At $1,004 in Kastamonu versus $1,771 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kastamonu but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Kastamonu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Kastamonu?
Both work as nomad bases, but Kastamonu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,004 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kastamonu hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Kastamonu?
Safety-wise, Athens and Kastamonu 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 Kastamonu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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