Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Mortsel

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,771 a month against $2,130 in Mortsel, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Mortsel
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Mortsel Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,771

/mo nomad

Mortsel

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Mortsel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $2,130 in Mortsel.

Athens $1,771
Mortsel $2,130

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $3,214 in Mortsel.

Athens $2,736
Mortsel $3,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $4,298 in Mortsel.

Athens $3,701
Mortsel $4,298

Living in Athens costs roughly 17% less than in Mortsel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Mortsel 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.97

$21.95 €19.53

-23.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.7

$106 €94.6

-35.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 €10.17

$13.26 €11.80

-13.80%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.61

$4.24 €3.77

-4.25%

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

$2.74 €2.44

$3.38 €3.01

-18.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.47

$2.92 €2.60

-81.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.06

$5.33 €4.74

6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.06

$5.62 €5.00

1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.35 €1.20

37.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.28

$2.75 €2.45

-47.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.16 €1.92

30.56%

Eggs

$4.86 €4.32

$3.99 €3.55

21.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 €13.58

$17.39 €15.47

-12.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 €9.21

$11.95 €10.63

-13.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.99

$23.09 €20.54

-17.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.77 €2.47

-19.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.33 €2.07

-17.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.25

$2.64 €2.35

-46.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.85 €2.53

-28.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 €0.93

$2.16 €1.92

-51.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.88 €1.67

-37.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.36 €1.21

-20.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.75

$1.01 €0.90

-16.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 €4.89

$13.18 €11.72

-58.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 €9.05

$8.79 €7.82

15.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.95 €1.74

9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.26 €2.01

0.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.22

$3.02 €2.69

-54.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.71 €26.43

$59.0 €52.5

-49.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 €3.90

$5.56 €4.95

-21.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.89

$2.73 €2.43

-63.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 €14.79

$24.72 €21.98

-32.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.11

$2.05 €1.82

16.10%

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

$28.4K €25.3K

$35.5K €31.6K

-19.99%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$33.6K €29.9K

-18.94%

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

$203 €181

$221 €197

-8.16%

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

$26.79 €23.83

$20.75 €18.46

29.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 €26.82

$46.34 €41.22

-34.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 €47.74

$35.60 €31.66

50.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.40 €23.48

$19.83 €17.64

33.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 €9.42

$15.09 €13.42

-29.82%

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

$566 €504

$565 €502

0.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.4K

$21.0K €18.7K

-38.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.3

$110 €98.0

-19.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 €36.01

$47.79 €42.51

-15.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.3

$104 €92.7

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$148 €132

-16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 €648

$914 €813

-20.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 €576

$812 €722

-20.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,181

$1,406 €1,251

-5.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,194 €1,062

-2.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,024 €3,579

$4,134 €3,677

-2.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,483 €3,098

$2,946 €2,620

18.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,240 €1,103

$2,323 €2,066

-46.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.46

29.48%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Mortsel: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$647 36.5%

Mortsel

$812 38.1% 25.4% $165

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.6%

Mortsel

$359 16.9% 14.9% $47

Eating Out

Athens

$271 15.3%

Mortsel

$329 15.5% 21.7% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.7%

Mortsel

$289 13.6% 10.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.1%

Mortsel

$185 8.7% 14.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Mortsel

$66 3.1% 12.1% $9.1

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Mortsel

$90 4.2% 103% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $914 in Mortsel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mortsel pays 87% 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 $106 in Mortsel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $359 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇧🇪 Mortsel

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

00:55 12:55 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

24,525

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Athens Mortsel 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
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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 Mortsel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Mortsel. 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 87% lower in Mortsel. 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: $729 in Athens versus $914 in Mortsel. 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 $106 in Mortsel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $2,130 in Mortsel – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,771 in Athens versus $2,130 in Mortsel, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Mortsel. 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 $1,771 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Mortsel 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 20% less than in Mortsel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.