Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Maglaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Maglaj: $910 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Maglaj
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
$910
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Maglaj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $910 in Maglaj.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Maglaj $910

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,371 in Maglaj.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Maglaj $1,371

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $1,833 in Maglaj.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Maglaj $1,833

Living in Athens is roughly 95% more expensive than in Maglaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Maglaj is 33% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Maglaj
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.89
$6.85 BAM 11.95
143.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.5
$37.43 BAM 65.3
81.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.94
$6.69 BAM 11.67
66.52%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.60
$1.63 BAM 2.85
147.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.47
$1.82 BAM 3.18
52.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.23 BAM 2.14
-55.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.12
$2.23 BAM 3.90
157.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.86
$2.26 BAM 3.95
141.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Maglaj
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.46 BAM 2.55
24.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$0.92 BAM 1.61
50.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$1.74 BAM 3.04
60.92%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.31
$2.81 BAM 4.90
71.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.44
$7.54 BAM 13.15
99.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.48
$6.72 BAM 11.73
58.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.44
$9.84 BAM 17.18
87.30%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.15 BAM 2.01
91.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.67 BAM 2.91
13.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.69 BAM 2.95
-18.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.67 BAM 2.92
25.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.97
$1.16 BAM 2.03
-6.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.12 BAM 1.96
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.01 BAM 1.76
10.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.83 BAM 1.44
6.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.89
$3.50 BAM 6.12
56.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.04
$6.74 BAM 11.77
50.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.17 BAM 2.04
82.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.01
$1.15 BAM 2.01
95.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Maglaj
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.40 BAM 2.44
-2.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.68
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.97
$1.68 BAM 2.93
164.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.91
$1.11 BAM 1.94
-8.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.10
$10.37 BAM 18.10
63.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.59 BAM 2.77
41.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$30.4K BAM 53.0K
-7.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.2K
$21.8K BAM 38.1K
29.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Maglaj
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €183
$91.9 BAM 160
122.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.79
$18.32 BAM 31.97
45.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.12
$28.27 BAM 49.35
7.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Maglaj
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.63
$32.60 BAM 56.9
67.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.10
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.30
$4.67 BAM 8.15
123.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Maglaj
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €508
$135 BAM 236
320.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$3,932 BAM 6,863
220.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Maglaj
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €79.1
$57.2 BAM 99.9
54.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €36.11
$31.72 BAM 55.4
27.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.6
$95.1 BAM 166
10.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$129 BAM 226
-6.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Maglaj
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €661
$338 BAM 591
118.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €584
$253 BAM 442
158.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,160
$512 BAM 893
153.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,024
$356 BAM 621
222.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,582
$2,429 BAM 4,239
65.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,088
$1,764 BAM 3,079
96.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Maglaj
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,109
$741 BAM 1,293
67.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
4.3
4.19%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Maglaj: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Maglaj
$253 61.3% $401
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Maglaj
$200 35.6% $110
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Maglaj
$122 54.4% $146
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Maglaj
$138 47.1% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Maglaj
$141 11.8% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Maglaj
$42 44.3% $33
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Maglaj
$13 * 71.4% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $338 in Maglaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 68% 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 $37.00 in Maglaj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $200 per month, with Maglaj cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇧🇦 Maglaj
🕒 Local time
14:04 2:04 PM
13:04 1:04 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
7,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Maglaj 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Maglaj

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 Maglaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Maglaj?
Maglaj wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Maglaj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Maglaj?
Average pay runs 68% 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 Maglaj?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $338 in Maglaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Athens and in Maglaj?
Childcare runs $569 in Athens versus $135 in Maglaj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Maglaj?
Dining out is cheaper in Maglaj – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Maglaj?
At $910 in Maglaj versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maglaj but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Maglaj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Maglaj?
Both work as nomad bases, but Maglaj delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $910 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Maglaj hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Maglaj?
Safety-wise, Athens and Maglaj 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 Maglaj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Athens vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?