Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Lome

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $557 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Lome
🇹🇬 Togo
$557
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Lome

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $557 in Lome.

  • Athens $1,806
  • Lome $557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $980 in Lome.

  • Athens $2,731
  • Lome $980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $1,404 in Lome.

  • Athens $3,656
  • Lome $1,404

Living in Athens is roughly 224% more expensive than in Lome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 35% above, Lome is 58% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Lome
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.87
$2.94 F CFA 1,718
466.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €59.1
$30.61 F CFA 17.9K
116.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.06 €9.87
$5.64 F CFA 3,301
96.10%
Cappuccino
$4.14 €3.69
$5.65 F CFA 3,307
-26.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.50
$4.22 F CFA 2,470
-33.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$0.70 F CFA 407
-18.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.03
$0.96 F CFA 560
487.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.87
$1.74 F CFA 1,018
213.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Lome
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.75
$2.22 F CFA 1,302
-11.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.36 F CFA 795
3.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 €2.53
$1.49 F CFA 872
89.93%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.50
$2.04 F CFA 1,194
147.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.35 €13.70
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.34 €9.23
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.97 €16.93
$5.70 F CFA 3,334
232.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$2.92 F CFA 1,710
-25.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.67 F CFA 976
14.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.55 F CFA 1,489
-13.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.75 F CFA 1,024
-37.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.00
$1.18 F CFA 692
-4.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 €0.99
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$0.83 F CFA 487
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.60 €4.99
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 €9.09
$4.85 F CFA 2,835
110.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.09 F CFA 640
100.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.19
$1.40 F CFA 820
75.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Lome
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.38 €1.23
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.87 €27.55
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.90
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.22 F CFA 714
-14.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.11 €15.27
$4.24 F CFA 2,482
303.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.23 F CFA 720
87.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Lome
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €187
$146 F CFA 85.6K
43.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.70 €23.83
$21.33 F CFA 12.5K
25.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.13 €26.89
$42.15 F CFA 24.7K
-28.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Lome
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.6 €48.72
$60.5 F CFA 35.4K
-9.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.03 €23.23
$8.77 F CFA 5,132
196.81%
Cinema Ticket
$10.78 €9.62
$4.22 F CFA 2,467
155.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Lome
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$575 €513
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K €11.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Lome
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 €83.1
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.68 €36.30
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.9
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Lome
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €674
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €582
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,154
$1,196 F CFA 699.6K
8.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,163 €1,038
$294 F CFA 172.2K
295.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,008 €3,577
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,452 €3,081
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Lome
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,243 €1,110
$295 F CFA 172.7K
321.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
0
-

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lome: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$652
Lome
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$315
Lome
$140 * 55.5% $175
Eating Out
Athens
$269
Lome
$136 49.3% $133
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$267
Lome
$210 21.3% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$165
Lome
- * 100%
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$76
Lome
$69 9.5% $7.2
Getting Around
Athens
$46
Lome
$6.1 * 86.7% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Athens pays 321% 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: $66.0 in Athens vs $31.00 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $140 per month, with Lome cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇹🇬 Lome
🕒 Local time
13:04 1:04 PM
10:04 10:04 AM
3 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
837,437 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Lome 4,210 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Lome

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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Lome?
Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 224% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Lome?
Average pay runs 321% 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 it cost to live in Athens compared to Lome?
All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $557 in Lome – a 224% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Are groceries more expensive in Athens or in Lome?
Supermarket bills run roughly 125% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Lome?
At $557 in Lome versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Lome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Lome?
Both work as nomad bases, but Lome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $557 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lome hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Lome?
Safety-wise, Athens and Lome 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 Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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