Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Mary

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $471 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Mary

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Mary

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $471 in Mary.

Athens $1,779
Mary $471

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $713 in Mary.

Athens $2,721
Mary $713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $956 in Mary.

Athens $3,663
Mary $956

Living in Athens is roughly 278% more expensive than in Mary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Mary is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$11.42 TMT 38.36

47.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.99

$8.85 TMT 29.73

26.67%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$8.48 TMT 28.48

-51.89%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$12.99 TMT 43.66

-78.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$1.42 TMT 4.78

-61.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.08

$14.23 TMT 47.82

-59.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$11.73 TMT 39.40

-46.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.82 TMT 9.48

-34.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$7.07 TMT 23.74

-29.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.45

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.61

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.33 TMT 7.83

-9.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.49 TMT 4.99

44.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$2.07 TMT 6.94

-48.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.79 TMT 6.02

-35.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$1.14 TMT 3.84

-25.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$17.64 TMT 59.3

-69.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

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

$27.8K €24.7K

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

$26.6K €23.7K

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

$202 €180

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

$26.81 €23.88

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.16

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.17

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

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

$568 €506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.03

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €578

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,562

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,923

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

$216 TMT 726

476.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Mary: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Mary

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Mary

–

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Mary

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Mary

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Mary

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Mary

–

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Mary

–

Cost Breakdown

Athens pays about 5.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇹🇲 Mary

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

00:21 12:21 AM

3 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

123,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.77 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Mary 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Mary

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 Mary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mary wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Athens is about 5.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 219% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $471 in Mary – Mary is about 74% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $471 in Mary versus $1,779 in Athens, a $800 budget is realistic in Mary but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Mary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Mary wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.