Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Kostroma

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostroma: $1,332 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Kostroma
Learn more

Kostroma Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Kostroma

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,332

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Kostroma

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $1,332 in Kostroma.

Athens $1,779
Kostroma $1,332

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,092 in Kostroma.

Athens $2,721
Kostroma $2,092

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $2,851 in Kostroma.

Athens $3,663
Kostroma $2,851

Living in Athens is roughly 34% more expensive than in Kostroma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$12.21 ₽996

37.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$61.8 ₽5,036

6.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.98

$7.53 ₽614

48.87%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$3.88 ₽316

5.15%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$1.65 ₽135

67.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.85 ₽69.1

-36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$1.90 ₽155

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$4.96 ₽404

26.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.25 ₽102

47.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.04 ₽85.1

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.73 ₽141

54.34%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$1.95 ₽159

153.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.44

$14.37 ₽1,172

5.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$6.89 ₽562

59.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.60

$14.76 ₽1,203

33.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.08 ₽169

1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.87 ₽152

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$2.00 ₽163

-33.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$3.80 ₽310

-43.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.89 ₽72.9

19.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.69 ₽56.0

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.65 ₽134

-34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.97 ₽79.4

-12.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$3.58 ₽292

52.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

$12.22 ₽997

-17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.23 ₽100

65.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.65 ₽216

-10.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.60 ₽49.16

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

$30.32 ₽2,473

0.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$3.62 ₽295

5.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.35 ₽28.15

194.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

$6.10 ₽497

170.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.85 ₽69.2

175.29%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$43.7K ₽3.6M

-36.48%

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$40.0K ₽3.3M

-33.45%

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

$202 €180

$182 ₽14.9K

11.04%

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

$26.81 €23.87

$8.47 ₽691

216.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.14

$9.65 ₽787

215.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.14

$41.59 ₽3,392

30.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

$23.96 ₽1,955

14.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$9.49 ₽774

10.01%

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

$568 €505

$356 ₽29.0K

59.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$6,304 ₽514.1K

140.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.7

$106 ₽8,633

-14.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.01

$67.8 ₽5,528

-41.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$143 ₽11.7K

-26.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$176 ₽14.3K

-26.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$434 ₽35.4K

70.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €577

$349 ₽28.5K

85.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$900 ₽73.4K

41.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$607 ₽49.5K

84.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,561

$2,294 ₽187.1K

74.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,921

$1,550 ₽126.4K

111.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

$776 ₽63.3K

60.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

19.36

-77.07%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Kostroma: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Kostroma

$349 26.2% 46.1% $299

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Kostroma

$266 20% 15.8% $50

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Kostroma

$196 14.7% 27.7% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Kostroma

$200 15% 22.8% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Kostroma

$222 16.6% 35.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Kostroma

$61 4.6% 19.2% $14

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Kostroma

$38 2.9% 15.2% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $434 in Kostroma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 60% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $62 in Kostroma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $266 per month, with Kostroma cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇷🇺 Kostroma

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

277,393

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athens Kostroma 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Kostroma

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 Kostroma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kostroma wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kostroma the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $742 in Athens versus $434 in Kostroma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $568 in Athens versus $356 in Kostroma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kostroma – a meal for two runs $62 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Kostroma is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Kostroma wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.