For one person, living is cheaper in Kota: $341 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
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 Kota actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $341 in Kota.
Athens $1,775
Kota $341
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $540 in Kota.
Athens $2,721
Kota $540
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $739 in Kota.
Athens $3,666
Kota $739
🌍
Living in Athens is roughly 421% more expensive than in Kota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Kota is 75% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Kota
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69€14.84
$2.12₹202
687.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8€60.3
$8.17₹776
729.74%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.14€9.91
$2.59₹246
330.12%
Cappuccino
$4.03€3.58
$0.63₹60.2
539.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77€2.46
$0.35₹33.56
691.43%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$0.16₹15.55
243.75%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.74€5.10
$1.59₹151
261.01%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45€4.85
$3.15₹300
73.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Kota
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.82€1.62
$0.62₹58.8
193.55%
White Bread(500g)
$1.38€1.23
$0.44₹41.74
213.64%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.80€2.49
$0.67₹63.2
317.91%
Eggs
$4.83€4.30
$0.88₹83.9
448.86%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.05€13.39
$4.55₹432
230.77%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.63€9.45
$2.55₹242
316.86%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.43€16.39
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$2.20€1.96
$1.55₹147
41.94%
Banana(1kg)
$1.90€1.69
$0.52₹49.04
265.38%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.37€1.22
$0.66₹63.2
107.58%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.10€1.87
$0.43₹41.16
388.37%
Potato(1kg)
$1.08€0.96
$0.32₹30.36
237.50%
Onion(1kg)
$1.12€1.00
$0.37₹35.44
202.70%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.12€1.00
$0.32₹30.79
250.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88€0.79
$0.28₹26.21
214.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48€4.88
$4.33₹411
26.56%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.13€9.01
$7.84₹744
29.21%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13€1.89
$1.56₹148
36.54%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25€2.00
$1.85₹176
21.62%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
-
$4.67₹444
-
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Kota
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.36€1.21
$0.50₹47.54
172.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$29.89€26.59
$26.53₹2,519
12.66%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.45€3.96
$0.32₹30.43
1290.63%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.02€0.90
$0.22₹20.92
363.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.92€15.05
$1.08₹102
1466.67%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.25€2.00
$1.11₹106
102.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K€24.9K
$15.6K₹1.5M
79.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K€25.1K
$17.0K₹1.6M
66.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Kota
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$205€182
$13.09₹1,243
1463.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65€23.71
$2.53₹240
953.36%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38€27.02
$6.40₹608
374.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Kota
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$54.5€48.47
$10.62₹1,008
413.09%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88€23.02
$4.11₹391
529.68%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42€9.27
$3.17₹301
228.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Kota
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$569€506
$33.56₹3,187
1596.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.6K€11.2K
$662₹62.9K
1801.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Kota
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7€78.9
$21.88₹2,077
305.21%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46€35.99
$33.09₹3,143
22.27%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$105€93.3
$34.79₹3,304
201.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121€108
$21.28₹2,021
470.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Kota
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$741€659
$138₹13.1K
436.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$655€582
$81.0₹7,695
707.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,300€1,156
$273₹25.9K
375.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,148€1,021
$172₹16.4K
566.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,014€3,570
$565₹53.6K
611.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,460€3,078
$334₹31.8K
934.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Kota
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,242€1,105
$432₹41.0K
187.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.48
7.5
-40.27%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026
Last update for Kota: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655 36.9%
Kota
$81 23.8% ↓ 87.6%$574
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310 17.5%
Kota
$92 27.1% ↓ 70.3%$218
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$268 15.1%
Kota
$49 14.3% ↓ 81.8%$219
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262 14.7%
Kota
$22 6.5% ↓ 91.6%$240
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160 9%
Kota
$50 14.7% ↓ 68.8%$110
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75 4.2%
Kota
$17 5% ↓ 77.5%$58
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$45 2.5%
Kota
$30 8.8% ↓ 33.3%$15
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$1.1K 31.3%
Kota
$172 23.3% ↓ 85%$976
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$726 19.8%
Kota
$197 26.6% ↓ 72.9%$530
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$879 24%
Kota
$136 18.4% ↓ 84.6%$744
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$288 7.9%
Kota
$25 3.3% ↓ 91.5%$264
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$355 9.7%
Kota
$111 15% ↓ 68.8%$244
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$177 4.8%
Kota
$38 5.2% ↓ 78.5%$139
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$92 2.5%
Kota
$61 8.2% ↓ 34.1%$32
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $138 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Athens pays 188% 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 $8.00 in Kota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $92.0 per month, with Kota cheaper across the board.
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 Kota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Kota?
Kota wins on cost – living expenses run 421% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kota the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Kota?
Average pay runs 188% 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 Kota?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $138 in Kota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Kota?
Dining out is cheaper in Kota – a meal for two runs $8.00 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 Kota?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $341 in Kota – a 421% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Kota?
At $341 in Kota versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kota but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Kota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Kota?
Both work as nomad bases, but Kota delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $341 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kota hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Kota?
Safety-wise, Athens and Kota 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 Kota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 421% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.