Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Masallatah

For one person, living is cheaper in Masallatah: $369 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Masallatah
🇱🇾 Libya
$369
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Masallatah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $369 in Masallatah.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Masallatah $369

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $571 in Masallatah.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Masallatah $571

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $773 in Masallatah.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Masallatah $773

Living in Athens is roughly 382% more expensive than in Masallatah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Masallatah is 73% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Masallatah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$3.83 LYD 24.54
335.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$15.66 LYD 100
332.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$2.56 LYD 16.42
335.16%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.65 LYD 4.15
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.72 LYD 4.60
-
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$0.48 LYD 3.08
739.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$0.46 LYD 2.94
502.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$0.10 LYD 0.63
450.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Masallatah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$0.92 LYD 5.91
97.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$0.20 LYD 1.28
590.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$1.17 LYD 7.51
139.32%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$1.42 LYD 9.12
240.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$5.35 LYD 34.29
181.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$3.49 LYD 22.35
204.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$9.36 LYD 60.0
96.90%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.26 LYD 14.48
-2.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.49 LYD 9.52
27.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$0.68 LYD 4.37
101.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$0.56 LYD 3.56
275.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.71 LYD 4.52
52.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.47 LYD 3.00
138.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.39 LYD 2.52
187.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.16 LYD 1.04
450.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.75 LYD 11.23
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.97 LYD 6.23
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.82 LYD 5.25
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$1.96 LYD 12.59
179.59%
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
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Masallatah
Difference
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
$0.75 LYD 4.82
493.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$0.45 LYD 2.87
126.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$0.02 LYD 0.13
11150.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$23.2K LYD 148.4K
21.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$21.1K LYD 135.2K
33.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Masallatah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$93.4 LYD 598
119.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$6.20 LYD 39.71
329.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$27.43 LYD 176
10.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Masallatah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Masallatah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$52.9 LYD 339
975.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$1,528 LYD 9,792
723.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Masallatah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$22.85 LYD 146
288.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$17.53 LYD 112
130.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$65.2 LYD 418
60.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$65.1 LYD 417
86.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Masallatah
Difference
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
-
-
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Masallatah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
-
-
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 10, 2026

Last update for Masallatah: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Masallatah
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Masallatah
$115 62.8% $195
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Masallatah
$46 82.7% $222
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Masallatah
$127 51.5% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Masallatah
$77 52% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Masallatah
- * 100%
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Masallatah
$3 * 93.3% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $16.00 in Masallatah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $115 per month, with Masallatah cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇱🇾 Masallatah
🕒 Local time
03:08 3:08 AM
02:08 2:08 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Masallatah 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Masallatah

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 Masallatah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Masallatah?
Masallatah wins on cost – living expenses run 382% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Masallatah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Athens and in Masallatah?
You'd need roughly $2,662 in Athens and $553 in Masallatah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do childcare costs compare in Athens and in Masallatah?
Childcare runs $569 in Athens versus $52.9 in Masallatah. 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 Masallatah?
Dining out is cheaper in Masallatah – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Athens or in Masallatah?
At $369 in Masallatah versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masallatah but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Masallatah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Masallatah?
Both work as nomad bases, but Masallatah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $369 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Masallatah hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Masallatah?
Safety-wise, Athens and Masallatah 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 Masallatah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 382% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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