Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Kecskemet

For one person, living is cheaper in Kecskemet: $1,171 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Kecskemet
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,171
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Kecskemet

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,171 in Kecskemet.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Kecskemet $1,171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,730 in Kecskemet.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Kecskemet $1,730

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $2,289 in Kecskemet.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Kecskemet $2,289

Living in Athens is roughly 52% more expensive than in Kecskemet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Kecskemet is 13% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Kecskemet
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$9.16 Ft 2,959
82.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$30.07 Ft 9,715
125.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$7.81 Ft 2,524
42.64%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$1.57 Ft 507
156.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$1.56 Ft 505
77.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.20 Ft 389
-54.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$2.22 Ft 718
158.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$2.27 Ft 733
140.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Kecskemet
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.23 Ft 396
47.97%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.28 Ft 414
7.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$2.41 Ft 777
16.18%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$3.69 Ft 1,192
30.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$10.38 Ft 3,354
44.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$6.71 Ft 2,166
58.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$13.61 Ft 4,398
35.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.83 Ft 591
20.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.67 Ft 539
13.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.82 Ft 588
-24.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$3.14 Ft 1,015
-33.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.99 Ft 318
9.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.05 Ft 340
6.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.21 Ft 391
-7.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.51 Ft 166
72.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$6.87 Ft 2,220
-20.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$3.73 Ft 1,207
171.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.22 Ft 394
74.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.97 Ft 636
14.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Kecskemet
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.12 Ft 361
21.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$18.54 Ft 5,991
61.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$1.23 Ft 398
261.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.63 Ft 528
-37.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$18.17 Ft 5,870
-6.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.81 Ft 584
24.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
-6.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$32.5K Ft 10.5M
-13.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Kecskemet
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$130 Ft 42.1K
57.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$32.28 Ft 10.4K
-17.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$19.37 Ft 6,257
56.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Kecskemet
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$61.0 Ft 19.7K
-10.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$27.61 Ft 8,921
-6.27%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$7.78 Ft 2,512
33.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Kecskemet
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$246 Ft 79.4K
131.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$6,687 Ft 2.2M
88.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Kecskemet
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$114 Ft 37.0K
-22.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$15.05 Ft 4,863
168.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$46.46 Ft 15.0K
125.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$75.6 Ft 24.4K
60.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Kecskemet
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$513 Ft 165.6K
44.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$394 Ft 127.4K
65.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$695 Ft 224.7K
86.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$592 Ft 191.1K
94.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$2,321 Ft 749.9K
72.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$1,964 Ft 634.4K
76.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Kecskemet
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$1,099 Ft 355.1K
13.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
6.67
-32.83%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kecskemet: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Kecskemet
$394 39.7% $260
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Kecskemet
$231 25.7% $80
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Kecskemet
$142 46.9% $126
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Kecskemet
$182 30.5% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Kecskemet
$113 29.2% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Kecskemet
$77 1.6% $1.2
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Kecskemet
$32 27.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $513 in Kecskemet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 13% 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: $68.0 in Athens vs $30.00 in Kecskemet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $231 per month, with Kecskemet cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇭🇺 Kecskemet
🕒 Local time
04:12 4:12 AM
03:12 3:12 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
109,450
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Kecskemet 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Kecskemet

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 Kecskemet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Kecskemet?
Kecskemet wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kecskemet the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Kecskemet?
Average pay runs 13% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Kecskemet?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $513 in Kecskemet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Kecskemet?
Dining out is cheaper in Kecskemet – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $68.0 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 Kecskemet?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,171 in Kecskemet – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Athens or in Kecskemet?
At $1,171 in Kecskemet versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kecskemet but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Kecskemet the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Kecskemet?
Both work as nomad bases, but Kecskemet delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,171 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kecskemet hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Kecskemet?
Safety-wise, Athens and Kecskemet 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 Kecskemet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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