Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Mwanza

For one person, living is cheaper in Mwanza: $188 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Mwanza

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$188

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Mwanza

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $188 in Mwanza.

Athens $1,779
Mwanza $188

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $295 in Mwanza.

Athens $2,721
Mwanza $295

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $403 in Mwanza.

Athens $3,663
Mwanza $403

Living in Athens is roughly 849% more expensive than in Mwanza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Mwanza is 86% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$2.42 TZS 6,367

595.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$15.31 TZS 40.3K

331.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.98

$4.62 TZS 12.2K

142.64%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$2.69 TZS 7,083

51.67%

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

$2.77 €2.47

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.29 TZS 763

86.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$0.91 TZS 2,402

526.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$1.34 TZS 3,525

367.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$0.94 TZS 2,461

95.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.53 TZS 4,035

-6.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$0.99 TZS 2,613

169.70%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$2.10 TZS 5,534

135.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.44

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.60

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$1.01 TZS 2,645

4.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.34 TZS 3,534

-14.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.36 TZS 957

136.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$1.45 TZS 3,803

61.38%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

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

$26.6K €23.7K

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

$202 €180

$66.4 TZS 174.5K

204.73%

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

$26.81 €23.87

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.14

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.14

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

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

$568 €505

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.01

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €577

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,561

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,921

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

$187 TZS 490.8K

567.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Mwanza: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Mwanza

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Mwanza

–

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Mwanza

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Mwanza

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Mwanza

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Mwanza

–

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Mwanza

–

Cost Breakdown

Athens pays about 6.7 times 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 in Athens vs $15 in Mwanza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $47 per month, with Mwanza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇹🇿 Mwanza

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

1,104,521

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.8 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2,629 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.8 USD). 1 EUR = 2,951 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.39 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Athens Mwanza 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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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 Mwanza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mwanza wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mwanza the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Athens is about 6.7 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $188 in Mwanza – Mwanza is about 89% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 571% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $188 in Mwanza versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mwanza but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Mwanza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

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