Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Lamia

For one person, living is cheaper in Lamia: $1,192 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Lamia
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Lamia Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Lamia

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Lamia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,192 in Lamia.

Athens $1,775
Lamia $1,192

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,853 in Lamia.

Athens $2,721
Lamia $1,853

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $2,515 in Lamia.

Athens $3,666
Lamia $2,515

Living in Athens is roughly 49% more expensive than in Lamia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Lamia is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$17.07 €15.18

-2.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$54.8 €48.75

23.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$8.45 €7.52

31.83%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$3.09 €2.75

30.42%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$1.37 €1.22

102.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.49 €0.43

12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$5.06 €4.50

13.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$6.22 €5.54

-12.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.67 €1.49

8.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.09 €0.97

26.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.04 €1.82

37.25%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$3.45 €3.07

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$9.25 €8.23

62.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$6.04 €5.37

75.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$9.18 €8.17

100.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.96 €1.74

12.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.20 €1.96

-13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.97 €1.75

-30.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.15 €1.91

-2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.22 €1.09

-11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.14 €1.02

-1.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.58 €0.51

93.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.88 €0.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$4.93 €4.39

11.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$7.03 €6.25

44.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$0.90 €0.80

136.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.27 €2.02

-0.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.30 €1.16

4.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$41.33 €36.76

-27.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$4.15 €3.70

7.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.14 €1.02

-10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$16.71 €14.87

1.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.06 €1.83

9.22%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

0.04%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$27.2K €24.2K

3.95%

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

$205 €182

$197 €175

3.97%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$22.56 €20.06

18.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$30.37 €27.02

0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$55.0 €48.94

-0.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$25.51 €22.69

1.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$7.62 €6.78

36.75%

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

$569 €506

$275 €244

107.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$6,477 €5,762

94.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$40.11 €35.68

121.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$45.68 €40.63

-11.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$67.1 €59.7

56.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$131 €116

-7.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$486 €432

52.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$225 €200

190.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$497 €442

161.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$389 €346

194.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$2,640 €2,349

52.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$2,193 €1,951

57.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$1,112 €989

11.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.34

-16.10%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lamia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Lamia

$225 18.9% 65.6% $429

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Lamia

$219 18.3% 29.6% $92

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Lamia

$244 20.5% 8.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Lamia

$250 21% 4.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Lamia

$128 10.7% 20.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Lamia

$70 5.9% 6.7% $5.1

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Lamia

$56 4.7% 25.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $486 in Lamia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 12% 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 $55.0 in Lamia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $219 per month, with Lamia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇬🇷 Lamia

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

Same time as Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

52,006

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Lamia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lamia wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lamia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $741 in Athens versus $486 in Lamia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lamia – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,192 in Lamia – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,192 in Lamia versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lamia but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Lamia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lamia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,192 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lamia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Lamia 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 Lamia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.