Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Merignac

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,759 a month against $1,887 in Merignac, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Merignac
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Merignac Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Merignac

🇫🇷 France

$1,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Merignac

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $1,887 in Merignac.

Athens $1,759
Merignac $1,887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $2,897 in Merignac.

Athens $2,696
Merignac $2,897

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $3,907 in Merignac.

Athens $3,632
Merignac $3,907

Living in Athens costs roughly 7% less than in Merignac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 29% above, Merignac 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.32

$16.82 €15.12

1.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €59.2

$77.8 €69.9

-15.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 €9.84

$13.43 €12.07

-18.39%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.69

$3.96 €3.55

3.54%

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

$2.83 €2.54

$2.93 €2.63

-3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.53

$1.38 €1.24

-57.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.05

$7.44 €6.68

-24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.09

$6.63 €5.96

-14.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.17 €1.06

62.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.98 €1.78

-26.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.52 €2.26

7.54%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.53

$3.49 €3.14

44.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €13.55

$13.55 €12.17

11.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.23

$14.70 €13.20

-30.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.43

$20.03 €17.99

-3.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.91

$3.43 €3.08

-38.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.72

$2.25 €2.02

-15.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$3.29 €2.96

-57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$3.47 €3.12

-38.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.94

$2.27 €2.04

-54.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.02

$2.88 €2.59

-60.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.37 €1.23

-17.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.51 €0.46

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 €4.96

$13.21 €11.87

-58.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.98

$8.92 €8.02

12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$3.46 €3.11

-41.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$3.40 €3.06

-32.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.95 €1.75

-32.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 €27.56

$55.2 €49.57

-44.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.93

$2.29 €2.05

90.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.81 €1.63

-43.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.05 €15.32

$37.65 €33.83

-54.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.11

$2.18 €1.96

7.34%

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

$28.3K €25.4K

$35.0K €31.4K

-19.27%

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

$26.8K €24.0K

$36.2K €32.5K

-25.96%

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

$200 €180

$222 €200

-10.08%

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

$25.17 €22.62

$14.09 €12.66

78.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 €26.64

$30.79 €27.67

-3.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €45.32

$31.86 €28.63

58.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.94 €23.30

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.46

$12.97 €11.65

-18.89%

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

$576 €518

$797 €716

-27.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.6K

$10.3K €9,246

25.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €80.6

$112 €101

-20.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 €35.55

$45.56 €40.94

-13.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.7

$107 €96.1

-1.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$146 €131

-15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €665

$862 €774

-14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €578

$656 €590

-2.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,172

$1,599 €1,436

-18.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €1,007

$1,144 €1,028

-2.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,011 €3,604

$3,985 €3,580

0.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,284 €2,951

$3,034 €2,726

8.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 €1,099

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.79

18.21%

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

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Merignac: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$643 36.5%

Merignac

$656 34.8% 2.1% $13

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.7%

Merignac

$357 18.9% 14.4% $45

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.4%

Merignac

$290 15.4% 6.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$255 14.5%

Merignac

$267 14.2% 4.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.2%

Merignac

$185 9.8% 14.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$71 4.1%

Merignac

$58 3.1% 19.1% $14

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.6%

Merignac

$74 3.9% 63.6% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Athens and $862 in Merignac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $78 in Merignac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $357 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇫🇷 Merignac

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

16:19 4:19 PM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

75,729

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Merignac 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Merignac

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 Merignac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Merignac. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,639 in Athens and $2,831 in Merignac 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $740 in Athens versus $862 in Merignac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66 versus $78 in Merignac. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,759 per month in Athens versus $1,887 in Merignac – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Merignac. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.