Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Kotor

For one person, living is cheaper in Kotor: $1,525 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Kotor
🇲🇪 Montenegro
$1,525
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Kotor

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,525 in Kotor.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Kotor $1,525

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,419 in Kotor.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Kotor $2,419

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,313 in Kotor.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Kotor $3,313

Living in Athens is roughly 16% more expensive than in Kotor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Kotor 13% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Kotor
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$11.25 €10.00
48.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$59.4 €52.8
14.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$11.05 €9.83
0.81%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$3.09 €2.75
30.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.52 €2.24
9.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.51 €1.34
-63.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$3.00 €2.67
91.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$4.28 €3.81
27.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Kotor
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.27 €1.13
43.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.01 €0.90
36.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$1.94 €1.72
44.33%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$3.43 €3.06
40.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$8.51 €7.57
76.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$8.48 €7.54
25.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$12.21 €10.86
50.94%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.27 €1.13
73.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.76 €1.56
7.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.47 €1.31
-6.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.33 €2.07
-9.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.93 €0.83
16.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.01 €0.90
10.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.45 €1.29
-22.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.84 €0.74
4.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$4.28 €3.81
28.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$8.04 €7.15
26.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.10 €0.98
93.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.74 €1.54
29.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Kotor
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.70 €1.51
-20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$44.88 €39.92
-33.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$0.77 €0.69
477.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.14 €1.01
-10.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$10.95 €9.74
54.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.71 €1.52
31.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$29.1K €25.9K
-3.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$25.6K €22.7K
10.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Kotor
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$126 €112
61.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$16.93 €15.06
57.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$31.27 €27.81
-2.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Kotor
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$43.95 €39.09
23.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$20.44 €18.18
26.61%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$6.49 €5.78
60.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Kotor
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$339 €302
67.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$7,152 €6,362
75.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Kotor
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$88.8 €79.0
-0.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$44.16 €39.28
-8.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$96.1 €85.5
9.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$107 €95.2
13.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Kotor
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$658 €585
12.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$655 €583
-0.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$1,350 €1,201
-3.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,302 €1,158
-11.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$3,850 €3,425
4.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$2,814 €2,503
22.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Kotor
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$954 €849
30.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5.95
-24.71%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kotor: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Kotor
$655 0.1% $0.6
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Kotor
$229 26.2% $81
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Kotor
$200 25.4% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Kotor
$175 33.3% $87
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Kotor
$151 5.4% $8.7
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Kotor
$57 24.4% $18
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Kotor
$58 29.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $658 in Kotor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 30% 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 $59.0 in Kotor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $229 per month, with Kotor cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇲🇪 Kotor
🕒 Local time
12:26 12:26 PM
11:26 11:26 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
13,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Kotor 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Kotor

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 Kotor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Kotor?
Kotor wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kotor the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Kotor?
Average pay runs 30% 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 Kotor?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $658 in Kotor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Kotor?
Dining out is cheaper in Kotor – a meal for two runs $59.0 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 Kotor?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,525 in Kotor – a 16% 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 Kotor?
At $1,525 in Kotor versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kotor but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Kotor the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Kotor?
Both work as nomad bases, but Kotor delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,525 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kotor hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Kotor?
Safety-wise, Athens and Kotor 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 Kotor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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