Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,779 a month against $1,843 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Moscow outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
Learn more

Moscow Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,843

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Moscow

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $1,843 in Moscow.

Athens $1,779
Moscow $1,843

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,822 in Moscow.

Athens $2,721
Moscow $2,822

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $3,801 in Moscow.

Athens $3,663
Moscow $3,801

Living in Athens costs roughly 3% less than in Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 32% above, Moscow 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$12.14 ₽991

38.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$62.2 ₽5,076

6.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.99

$7.31 ₽597

53.35%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$3.72 ₽304

9.68%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$1.67 ₽136

65.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.83 ₽67.5

-34.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.08

$5.03 ₽411

13.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$4.84 ₽395

29.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.24 ₽101

48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.00 ₽81.3

43.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.71 ₽139

56.14%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$1.90 ₽155

160.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.45

$14.34 ₽1,171

5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$6.65 ₽543

65.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.61

$14.53 ₽1,186

36.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.07 ₽169

2.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.89 ₽154

4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.91 ₽156

-30.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$3.96 ₽323

-45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.93 ₽75.8

13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.70 ₽57.3

64.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.97

$1.64 ₽134

-34.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.92 ₽74.9

-7.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$3.50 ₽286

56.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

$12.25 ₽1,000

-18.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.18 ₽96.3

72.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.54 ₽207

-6.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.95 ₽77.3

42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.19

$42.83 ₽3,498

-28.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$3.60 ₽294

5.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.76 ₽62.4

35.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

$11.20 ₽915

47.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.90 ₽73.3

160.00%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$42.9K ₽3.5M

-35.23%

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$40.0K ₽3.3M

-33.57%

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

$202 €180

$177 ₽14.5K

13.99%

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

$26.81 €23.88

$8.76 ₽715

206.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.16

$9.72 ₽794

213.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.17

$42.21 ₽3,447

28.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.41

$46.14 ₽3,768

-40.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$9.50 ₽776

9.89%

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

$568 €506

$869 ₽71.0K

-34.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$30.2K ₽2.5M

-49.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.8

$106 ₽8,677

-14.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.03

$67.5 ₽5,515

-41.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$144 ₽11.8K

-26.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$179 ₽14.6K

-27.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$1,481 ₽121.0K

-49.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €578

$837 ₽68.3K

-22.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$3,018 ₽246.4K

-57.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$1,487 ₽121.4K

-24.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,562

$9,639 ₽787.1K

-58.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,923

$4,728 ₽386.1K

-30.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

$1,804 ₽147.3K

-30.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

19.36

-77.07%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Moscow: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Moscow

$837 45.4% 29.1% $188

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Moscow

$263 14.3% 16.8% $53

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Moscow

$208 11.3% 23.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Moscow

$196 10.6% 24.5% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Moscow

$223 12.1% 36.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Moscow

$61 3.3% 18.3% $14

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Moscow

$54 2.9% 20.4% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $1,481 in Moscow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moscow pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $62 in Moscow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $263 per month, with Moscow cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

12,700,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.66 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.67 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Moscow 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Moscow

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 Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Moscow. 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 31% lower in Athens. 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: $742 in Athens versus $1,481 in Moscow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Moscow – a meal for two runs $62 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $1,843 in Moscow – Athens is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value at $1,779 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Athens wins on affordability, Moscow on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.