Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Kos Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Kos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,696 in Athens versus $1,494 in Kos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,642 in Athens versus $2,288 in Kos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,588 in Athens versus $3,082 in Kos.

Living in Athens is roughly 13% more expensive than Kos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 27% above, Kos 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 €15.06

$17.08 €14.70

2.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €54.7

$75.2 €64.7

-15.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.14

$12.10 €10.41

-12.23%

Cappuccino

$4.34 €3.74

$4.71 €4.06

-7.86%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$3.26 €2.81

-23.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$1.12 €0.96

-40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 €5.08

$4.58 €3.94

28.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$7.11 €6.12

-18.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$2.39 €2.06

-20.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.70 €1.46

-17.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.49

$2.42 €2.08

19.83%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.38

$4.19 €3.61

21.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 €12.62

$13.78 €11.86

6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €9.74

$9.55 €8.22

18.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 €12.98

$13.69 €11.78

10.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.17 €1.87

6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.13 €1.83

1.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.43 €1.23

5.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.97 €1.70

16.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.26 €1.09

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.19 €1.02

-0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.97 €0.84

29.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$0.81 €0.70

28.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.81

$5.22 €4.49

7.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 €10.12

$7.05 €6.07

66.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.99 €1.71

2.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.49

$2.79 €2.40

3.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.59 €1.37

-11.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €29.69

$47.07 €40.52

-26.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.97

$4.76 €4.10

-2.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.33 €14.92

$13.84 €11.92

25.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.16 €1.86

-0.93%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$30.6K €26.4K

-7.17%

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

$30.4K €26.1K

$26.9K €23.2K

12.72%

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

$219 €188

$212 €182

3.40%

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

$26.82 €23.09

$23.12 €19.90

16.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.71 €29.88

$35.30 €30.39

-1.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 €49.13

$48.04 €41.36

18.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.87

$25.71 €22.13

3.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €8.89

$9.75 €8.40

5.95%

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

$552 €475

$431 €371

28.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,693

$5,897 €5,077

90.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €79.8

$88.9 €76.6

4.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.61 €40.99

$38.41 €33.07

23.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.2

$88.3 €76.0

13.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$107 €92.3

12.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 €568

$488 €420

35.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 €501

$383 €330

52.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 €1,017

$749 €645

57.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €886

$608 €523

69.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 €3,542

$2,853 €2,456

44.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,388 €2,917

$2,803 €2,413

20.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,342 €1,155

$939 €809

42.82%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kos: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Athens and $488 in Kos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 43% 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: $64.0 in Athens vs $75.0 in Kos. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $286, with Kos cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kos wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athens pays 43% 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: $660 in Athens versus $488 in Kos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kos – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,696 per month in Athens versus $1,494 in Kos – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,494 in Kos versus $1,696 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kos but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Kos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,494 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Kos 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 Kos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.