Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Maharagama

For one person, living is cheaper in Maharagama: $133 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Maharagama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Maharagama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $133 in Maharagama.

Athens $1,775
Maharagama $133

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $250 in Maharagama.

Athens $2,721
Maharagama $250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $367 in Maharagama.

Athens $3,666
Maharagama $367

Living in Athens is roughly 1232% more expensive than in Maharagama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Maharagama is 90% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$5.39 LKR 1,785

209.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$20.20 LKR 6,690

235.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$6.82 LKR 2,260

63.34%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$2.12 LKR 701

90.09%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$0.59 LKR 196

369.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.29 LKR 94.8

89.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$0.93 LKR 307

95.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.25 LKR 83.2

452.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$0.49 LKR 162

471.43%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$1.49 LKR 494

224.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$0.44 LKR 146

911.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$0.47 LKR 155

117.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

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

$28.0K €24.9K

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

$28.2K €25.1K

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

$205 €182

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

$26.65 €23.71

$4.63 LKR 1,534

475.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$13.62 LKR 4,510

123.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

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

$569 €506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$197 LKR 65.3K

558.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$244 LKR 80.7K

410.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Maharagama: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Maharagama

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Maharagama

–

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Maharagama

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Maharagama

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Maharagama

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Maharagama

–

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Maharagama

–

Cost Breakdown

Athens pays 410% 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 $20.00 in Maharagama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $20.00 per month, with Maharagama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇱🇰 Maharagama

🕒 Local time

09:44 9:44 AM

12:14 12:14 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

196,400

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

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

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Athens Maharagama 6,610 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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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 Maharagama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maharagama wins on cost – living expenses run 1232% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Maharagama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 410% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $133 in Maharagama – a 1232% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1476% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $133 in Maharagama versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maharagama but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Maharagama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Maharagama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $133 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Maharagama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Maharagama 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 Maharagama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1232% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.