Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Mons

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $1,893 in Mons, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mons
Learn more

Mons Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Mons

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Mons

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,893 in Mons.

Athens $1,775
Mons $1,893

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,798 in Mons.

Athens $2,721
Mons $2,798

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,704 in Mons.

Athens $3,666
Mons $3,704

Living in Athens costs roughly 6% less than in Mons, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Mons 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$17.03 €15.15

-2.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$82.4 €73.3

-17.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$10.05 €8.94

10.85%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$2.51 €2.23

60.56%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$2.74 €2.44

1.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.70 €1.51

-67.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$3.87 €3.44

48.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$4.30 €3.83

26.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.16 €1.03

56.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.20 €1.96

-37.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.20 €1.96

27.27%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$4.10 €3.64

17.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$18.83 €16.75

-20.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$12.42 €11.05

-14.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$19.48 €17.33

-5.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.73 €2.43

-19.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.36 €2.10

-19.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.60 €2.31

-47.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.79 €2.48

-24.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$2.13 €1.89

-49.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.16 €1.03

-3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.31 €1.17

-14.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.07 €0.95

-17.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$9.66 €8.59

-43.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$5.65 €5.02

79.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.90 €1.69

12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.81 €1.61

24.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$3.04 €2.71

-55.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$41.67 €37.06

-28.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$10.95 €9.74

-59.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$2.85 €2.54

-64.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$25.21 €22.42

-32.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.83 €1.63

22.95%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$35.7K €31.7K

-21.46%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$33.5K €29.8K

-15.67%

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

$205 €182

$223 €198

-8.28%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$20.52 €18.25

29.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$45.91 €40.84

-33.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$26.32 €23.41

107.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$18.37 €16.34

40.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$12.18 €10.84

-14.45%

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

$569 €506

$552 €491

3.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$21.0K €18.7K

-40.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$106 €94.7

-16.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$46.28 €41.17

-12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$108 €96.3

-3.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$147 €131

-17.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$686 €610

7.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$709 €630

-7.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$1,031 €917

26.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$996 €886

15.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$4,094 €3,641

-1.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$2,906 €2,585

19.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$2,796 €2,487

-55.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.2

40.00%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mons: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Mons

$709 37.4% 8.3% $54

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Mons

$339 17.9% 9.3% $29

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Mons

$242 12.8% 9.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Mons

$290 15.3% 10.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Mons

$184 9.7% 14.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Mons

$51 2.7% 32.7% $25

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Mons

$79 4.2% 76.1% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $686 in Mons. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mons pays 125% 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: $68.0 in Athens vs $82.0 in Mons for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $339 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇧🇪 Mons

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

07:54 7:54 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

92,721

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athens Mons 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Mons

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 Mons: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 125% lower in Mons. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $686 in Mons. 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 $68.0 versus $82.0 in Mons. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,893 in Mons – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $1,893 in Mons, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Mons. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Mons are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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