Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Monastir

For one person, living is cheaper in Monastir: $706 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens, Greece
Monastir, Tunisia
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,759
/mo nomad
Monastir
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$706
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Monastir

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $706 in Monastir.

  • Athens $1,759
  • Monastir $706

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $1,131 in Monastir.

  • Athens $2,696
  • Monastir $1,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $1,555 in Monastir.

  • Athens $3,632
  • Monastir $1,555

Living in Athens is roughly 149% more expensive than in Monastir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 29% above, Monastir is 48% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Monastir
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.05 €15.31
$5.01 TND 15.08
240.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 €59.1
$22.48 TND 67.7
192.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.96 €9.84
$6.15 TND 18.51
78.21%
Cappuccino
$4.10 €3.69
$1.19 TND 3.59
244.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 €2.54
$0.74 TND 2.23
282.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 €0.53
$0.36 TND 1.09
63.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.62 €5.05
$1.63 TND 4.92
244.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.67 €5.09
$1.63 TND 4.91
247.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Monastir
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.90 €1.70
$0.44 TND 1.32
331.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.17 TND 0.51
758.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.71 €2.43
$1.68 TND 5.05
61.31%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.53
$1.58 TND 4.75
218.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.08 €13.54
$13.71 TND 41.29
9.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.28 €9.23
$6.15 TND 18.52
67.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.40 €17.42
$14.60 TND 43.97
32.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.12 €1.91
$2.01 TND 6.07
5.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.71
$4.40 TND 13.25
-56.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.20 TND 3.60
17.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 €1.91
$0.80 TND 2.40
166.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 €0.94
$0.87 TND 2.63
19.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.02
$0.72 TND 2.17
56.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 €1.01
$0.44 TND 1.33
156.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 €0.73
$0.33 TND 1.01
145.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.52 €4.96
$3.74 TND 11.27
47.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.99 €8.97
$5.70 TND 17.18
75.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 €1.83
$1.21 TND 3.65
68.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.05
$1.32 TND 3.97
72.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Monastir
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.31 €1.18
$0.32 TND 0.95
309.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.67 €27.55
$11.01 TND 33.17
178.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.93
$0.29 TND 0.87
1406.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 €0.92
$0.29 TND 0.86
255.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.05 €15.32
$1.77 TND 5.34
863.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.34 €2.10
$0.83 TND 2.49
181.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K €25.4K
$39.7K TND 119.6K
-28.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K €24.0K
$35.9K TND 108.3K
-25.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Monastir
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$200 €180
$61.5 TND 185
224.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.17 €22.61
$10.56 TND 31.82
138.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.65 €26.64
$20.06 TND 60.4
47.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Monastir
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.4 €45.31
$23.67 TND 71.3
113.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.94 €23.30
$6.63 TND 19.97
291.25%
Cinema Ticket
$10.52 €9.45
$6.03 TND 18.17
74.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Monastir
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$576 €518
$94.4 TND 284
510.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.6K
$3,205 TND 9,656
303.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Monastir
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7 €80.6
$46.92 TND 141
91.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.57 €35.55
$67.5 TND 203
-41.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €94.7
$111 TND 335
-5.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$97.2 TND 293
27.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Monastir
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$740 €665
$203 TND 610
265.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$643 €577
$121 TND 363
433.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,305 €1,172
$354 TND 1,067
268.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,121 €1,007
$233 TND 703
380.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,011 €3,603
$1,219 TND 3,671
229.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,284 €2,950
$619 TND 1,864
430.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Monastir
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,224 €1,099
$347 TND 1,044
253.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
11
-59.27%

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

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Monastir: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$643
Monastir
$121 81.2% $522
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$312
Monastir
$210 32.8% $102
Eating Out
Athens
$272
Monastir
$89 67.4% $183
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$255
Monastir
$92 63.8% $163
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$161
Monastir
$145 10% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$71
Monastir
$36 50% $36
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Monastir
$14 69.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Athens and $203 in Monastir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $22 in Monastir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $210 per month, with Monastir cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇹🇳 Monastir
🕒 Local time
20:35 8:35 PM
19:35 7:35 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
104,535
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.01 TND (1 TND = 0.332 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Monastir 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Monastir

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 Monastir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Monastir?
Monastir wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Monastir the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Monastir?
Average pay in Athens is about 3.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Monastir?
Rent for a central apartment: $740 in Athens versus $203 in Monastir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Monastir?
Dining out is cheaper in Monastir – a meal for two runs $22 versus $66 in Athens. 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 Monastir?
All in, you’ll spend $1,759 per month in Athens versus $706 in Monastir – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Monastir?
At $706 in Monastir versus $1,759 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monastir but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Monastir the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Athens or Monastir?
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.
How safe is Athens compared to Monastir?
Safety-wise, Athens and Monastir 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 Monastir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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