Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Kefalonia Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Kefalonia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,740 in Athens versus $1,567 in Kefalonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,669 in Athens versus $2,447 in Kefalonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,598 in Athens versus $3,327 in Kefalonia.

Living in Athens is roughly 11% more expensive than Kefalonia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 30% above, Kefalonia 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €14.65

$17.08 €14.57

0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.3

$58.1 €49.54

7.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 €8.82

$9.92 €8.46

4.23%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.72

$3.11 €2.66

40.19%

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

$2.41 €2.06

$2.25 €1.92

7.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.53

$0.57 €0.49

8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.07

$4.81 €4.11

23.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 €5.05

$5.96 €5.08

-0.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.57

$1.74 €1.48

6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.49 €1.27

-5.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.48

$2.37 €2.03

22.78%

Eggs

$4.96 €4.23

$4.13 €3.52

20.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.13 €12.91

$13.38 €11.42

13.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 €9.28

$9.99 €8.52

8.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 €12.94

$13.97 €11.91

8.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.95

$2.23 €1.90

2.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.85

$2.10 €1.79

3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.46 €1.24

8.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$1.97 €1.68

15.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.22 €1.04

13.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €0.99

$1.25 €1.06

-6.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.02 €0.87

25.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.77 €0.66

31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.50 €4.70

$5.36 €4.57

2.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 €9.56

$6.97 €5.95

60.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.71

$2.55 €2.17

-21.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.54

$2.81 €2.40

6.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 €1.19

$1.58 €1.35

-11.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.21 €30.04

$45.45 €38.77

-22.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €3.85

$4.74 €4.04

-4.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.32 €14.78

$13.47 €11.49

28.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.13 €1.82

-3.29%

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

$28.6K €24.4K

$30.9K €26.4K

-7.59%

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

$30.4K €25.9K

$27.0K €23.1K

12.31%

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

$213 €182

$294 €251

-27.54%

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

$27.70 €23.63

$22.93 €19.56

20.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.80 €30.53

$32.16 €27.44

11.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 €47.22

$49.12 €41.90

12.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.86 €22.06

$26.53 €22.63

-2.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.74

$9.65 €8.23

6.22%

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

$552 €471

$417 €355

32.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,440

$5,958 €5,082

85.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €79.8

$87.4 €74.6

7.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 €40.76

$38.52 €32.86

24.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.4

$97.3 €83.0

5.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$105 €89.9

15.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 €546

$539 €460

18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 €485

$439 €374

29.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 €995

$1,124 €959

3.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 €868

$830 €708

22.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,244 €3,620

$2,923 €2,494

45.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,498 €2,984

$2,521 €2,150

38.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,370 €1,169

$1,169 €997

17.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.43

12.64%

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

Last update for Athens: April 20, 2026

Last update for Kefalonia: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Athens and $539 in Kefalonia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 17% 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 in Athens vs $58 in Kefalonia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $281 per month, with Kefalonia 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 Kefalonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kefalonia wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kefalonia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athens pays 17% 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: $640 in Athens versus $539 in Kefalonia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kefalonia – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $63.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,740 per month in Athens versus $1,567 in Kefalonia – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,567 in Kefalonia versus $1,740 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kefalonia but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Kefalonia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kefalonia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,567 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kefalonia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Kefalonia 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 Kefalonia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.