Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Mytilene

For one person, living is cheaper in Mytilene: $1,416 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Mytilene
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Mytilene Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Mytilene

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Mytilene

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $1,416 in Mytilene.

Athens $1,759
Mytilene $1,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $2,071 in Mytilene.

Athens $2,696
Mytilene $2,071

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $2,727 in Mytilene.

Athens $3,632
Mytilene $2,727

Living in Athens is roughly 24% more expensive than in Mytilene, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 29% above, Mytilene 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.28

$12.14 €10.88

40.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €59.0

$44.49 €39.86

47.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 €9.82

$10.22 €9.16

7.24%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.68

$3.83 €3.43

7.05%

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

$2.83 €2.54

$2.62 €2.35

8.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.53

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.04

$3.34 €2.99

68.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.08

$5.44 €4.88

4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.54 €1.38

23.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.52 €1.36

-3.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$2.84 €2.54

-4.58%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.52

$2.82 €2.53

78.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €13.51

$13.34 €11.96

13.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.21

$9.44 €8.46

8.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.38

$12.96 €11.62

49.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.13 €1.91

-0.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.98 €1.77

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.03 €1.82

4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.94

$1.18 €1.06

-11.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.11 €0.99

1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.09 €0.97

3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.81 €0.72

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 €4.94

$5.33 €4.78

3.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.95

$12.33 €11.05

-18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$2.00 €1.79

2.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$2.50 €2.24

-8.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.39 €1.24

-5.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 €27.48

$50.8 €45.48

-39.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.92

$2.54 €2.27

72.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.16 €1.04

-11.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.05 €15.28

$17.94 €16.08

-4.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.15 €1.92

8.84%

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

$28.3K €25.3K

$29.5K €26.4K

-4.19%

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

$26.8K €24.0K

$24.0K €21.5K

11.39%

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

$200 €179

$244 €219

-18.18%

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

$25.17 €22.56

$23.28 €20.86

8.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 €26.57

$55.2 €49.44

-46.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €45.20

$52.3 €46.84

-3.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.94 €23.24

$22.07 €19.78

17.54%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.43

$7.78 €6.97

35.22%

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

$576 €516

$413 €370

39.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.6K

$9,451 €8,469

36.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €80.4

$87.9 €78.8

2.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 €35.46

$35.12 €31.47

12.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.5

$99.2 €88.9

6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$112 €100

10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €663

$339 €303

118.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €576

$319 €286

101.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,169

$625 €560

108.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €1,004

$471 €422

137.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,011 €3,595

$2,324 €2,082

72.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,284 €2,943

$2,241 €2,008

46.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 €1,097

$1,082 €970

13.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.15

-13.01%

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

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mytilene: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$643 36.5%

Mytilene

$319 22.5% 50.4% $324

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.7%

Mytilene

$277 19.6% 11.2% $35

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.4%

Mytilene

$214 15.1% 21.2% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$255 14.5%

Mytilene

$323 22.8% 26.7% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.2%

Mytilene

$150 10.6% 6.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$71 4.1%

Mytilene

$68 4.8% 5.1% $3.7

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.6%

Mytilene

$65 4.6% 42.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Athens and $339 in Mytilene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 13% 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 $44 in Mytilene for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $277 per month, with Mytilene cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇬🇷 Mytilene

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

Same time as Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

36,163

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Mytilene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mytilene wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mytilene the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $740 in Athens versus $339 in Mytilene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mytilene – a meal for two runs $44 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,759 per month in Athens versus $1,416 in Mytilene – Mytilene is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Mytilene is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Athens and Mytilene are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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