Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Modena

For one person, living costs are similar in Athens and in Modena: $1,806 and $1,878 a month, rent and utilities included.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Modena
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,878
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Modena

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $1,878 in Modena.

  • Athens $1,806
  • Modena $1,878

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $3,029 in Modena.

  • Athens $2,731
  • Modena $3,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $4,179 in Modena.

  • Athens $3,656
  • Modena $4,179

Living in Athens costs roughly 4% less than in Modena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 35% above, Modena 40% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Modena
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.87
$22.22 €19.83
-25.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €59.1
$88.7 €79.1
-25.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.06 €9.87
$13.50 €12.05
-18.07%
Cappuccino
$4.14 €3.69
$1.91 €1.71
116.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.50
$2.96 €2.64
-5.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$1.65 €1.47
-65.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.03
$6.65 €5.93
-15.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.87
$5.55 €4.96
-1.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Modena
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.51 €1.35
29.80%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.26
$2.54 €2.27
-44.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 €2.53
$1.66 €1.48
70.48%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.50
$4.87 €4.35
3.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.35 €13.70
$20.54 €18.33
-25.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.34 €9.23
$13.92 €12.42
-25.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.97 €16.93
$21.10 €18.83
-10.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$2.68 €2.39
-19.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$2.49 €2.22
-23.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$3.22 €2.88
-57.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.11 €2.78
-29.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$2.41 €2.15
-54.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.00
$1.72 €1.54
-34.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.36 €1.22
-19.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$0.67 €0.59
23.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.60 €4.99
$6.63 €5.92
-15.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 €9.09
$8.92 €7.96
14.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.56 €1.39
39.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.19
$2.52 €2.25
-2.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Modena
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.25 €2.01
-38.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.87 €27.55
$38.94 €34.75
-20.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.90
$6.68 €5.96
-34.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.46 €1.31
-28.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.11 €15.27
$32.55 €29.05
-47.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.11 €1.88
9.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$35.8K €32.0K
-21.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$36.0K €32.1K
-22.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Modena
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €187
$190 €169
10.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.70 €23.83
$13.17 €11.75
102.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.13 €26.89
$31.70 €28.29
-4.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Modena
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.6 €48.72
$79.4 €70.9
-31.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.03 €23.23
$22.90 €20.44
13.67%
Cinema Ticket
$10.78 €9.62
$11.03 €9.84
-2.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Modena
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$575 €513
$565 €505
1.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K €11.7K
$15.2K €13.6K
-13.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Modena
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 €83.1
$85.4 €76.2
9.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.68 €36.30
$42.56 €37.98
-4.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.9
$98.6 €88.0
5.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$105 €93.3
22.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Modena
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €674
$832 €743
-9.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €582
$664 €593
-1.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,154
$1,720 €1,535
-24.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,163 €1,038
$1,340 €1,195
-13.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,008 €3,577
$3,595 €3,208
11.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,452 €3,081
$2,144 €1,913
61.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Modena
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,243 €1,110
$2,062 €1,840
-39.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.29
36.17%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Modena: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$652
Modena
$664 1.9% $12
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$315
Modena
$373 18.4% $58
Eating Out
Athens
$269
Modena
$304 13.1% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$267
Modena
$235 11.9% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$165
Modena
$149 9.6% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$76
Modena
$101 33.2% $25
Getting Around
Athens
$46
Modena
$62 34.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $832 in Modena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Modena pays 66% 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: $66.0 in Athens vs $89.0 in Modena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $373 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇮🇹 Modena
🕒 Local time
08:24 8:24 AM
07:24 7:24 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
184,973
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Modena 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Modena

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 Modena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Modena?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Modena. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Modena?
On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Modena. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Modena?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Athens versus $832 in Modena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Modena?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $89.0 in Modena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Athens compared to Modena?
All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $1,878 in Modena – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Modena?
At $1,806 in Athens versus $1,878 in Modena, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Modena. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Modena?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Modena?
Safety-wise, Athens and Modena 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Modena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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