Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,771 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,771

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Athens $1,771
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Athens $2,736
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Athens $3,701
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Athens costs roughly 20% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.97

$17.04 €15.15

-1.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.7

$62.3 €55.4

9.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 €10.17

$11.02 €9.80

3.72%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.61

$3.12 €2.78

30.13%

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

$2.74 €2.44

$2.27 €2.02

20.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.47

$1.74 €1.55

-69.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.06

$3.42 €3.04

66.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.06

$3.74 €3.33

51.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.17 €1.04

58.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.86 €1.66

-22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$1.54 €1.37

83.12%

Eggs

$4.86 €4.32

$4.06 €3.61

19.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 €13.58

$12.91 €11.49

18.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 €9.21

$7.90 €7.03

31.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.99

$17.64 €15.69

8.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.26 €2.01

-1.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.75 €1.55

9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.89 €1.68

-25.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.56 €2.27

-20.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.85 €1.64

-43.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.97 €1.75

-40.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.45 €1.29

-25.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.75

$0.77 €0.69

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 €4.89

$6.71 €5.97

-18.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 €9.05

$5.67 €5.04

79.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.37 €1.22

55.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.11 €1.88

8.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.32 €2.07

-40.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.71 €26.43

$44.43 €39.52

-33.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 €3.90

$3.95 €3.51

11.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.89

$1.05 €0.93

-4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 €14.79

$17.15 €15.26

-3.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.11

$2.19 €1.95

8.68%

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

$28.4K €25.3K

$33.8K €30.0K

-15.93%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$38.3K €34.0K

-28.87%

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

$203 €181

$164 €146

24.18%

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

$26.79 €23.83

$18.48 €16.43

44.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 €26.82

$32.96 €29.32

-8.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 €47.74

$45.87 €40.80

17.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.40 €23.48

$18.68 €16.61

41.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 €9.42

$9.75 €8.67

8.62%

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

$566 €504

$684 €608

-17.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.4K

$17.6K €15.7K

-27.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.3

$104 €92.3

-14.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 €36.01

$46.20 €41.09

-12.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.3

$99.7 €88.7

4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$125 €111

-0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 €648

$1,589 €1,414

-54.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 €576

$1,169 €1,040

-44.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,181

$2,851 €2,536

-53.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,993 €1,773

-41.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,024 €3,579

$7,793 €6,932

-48.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,483 €3,098

$4,418 €3,930

-21.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,240 €1,103

$1,600 €1,423

-22.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.85

16.36%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$647 36.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 80.6% $522

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.6%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 12.6% $39

Eating Out

Athens

$271 15.3%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 8.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.7%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 17.3% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.1%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 4.7% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Lisbon

$65 3% 12.7% $9.5

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 41.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 29% 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 $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

15:37 3:37 PM

13:37 1:37 PM

2 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Lisbon 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
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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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Athens versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,771 in Athens versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,771 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Lisbon 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.