Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Nea Smyrni Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Nea Smyrni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,740 in Athens versus $1,376 in Nea Smyrni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,669 in Athens versus $2,084 in Nea Smyrni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,598 in Athens versus $2,792 in Nea Smyrni.

Living in Athens is roughly 26% more expensive than Nea Smyrni, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 30% above, Nea Smyrni 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €14.65

$11.65 €9.94

47.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.3

$57.2 €48.79

9.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 €8.82

$8.69 €7.42

18.99%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.72

$3.74 €3.19

16.58%

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

$2.41 €2.06

$1.62 €1.38

48.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.53

$0.59 €0.50

5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.07

$4.56 €3.89

30.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 €5.05

$4.69 €4.00

26.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.57

$1.68 €1.43

10.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.37 €1.17

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.48

$2.34 €1.99

24.36%

Eggs

$4.96 €4.23

$4.03 €3.44

23.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.13 €12.91

$11.47 €9.78

31.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 €9.28

$8.85 €7.55

22.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 €12.94

$13.82 €11.79

9.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.95

$2.23 €1.90

2.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.85

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.52 €1.30

3.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.41 €2.06

-5.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.27 €1.08

8.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €0.99

$1.22 €1.04

-4.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.09

$0.95 €0.81

34.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.05 €0.89

-3.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.50 €4.70

$5.77 €4.92

-4.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 €9.56

$6.40 €5.46

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.71

$2.01 €1.72

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.54

$2.96 €2.53

0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 €1.19

$1.54 €1.32

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.21 €30.04

$46.22 €39.43

-23.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €3.85

$3.94 €3.36

14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.32 €14.78

$11.76 €10.03

47.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.12 €1.81

-2.83%

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

$28.6K €24.4K

$29.0K €24.7K

-1.27%

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

$30.4K €25.9K

$25.1K €21.4K

21.00%

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

$213 €182

$218 €186

-2.34%

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

$27.70 €23.63

$22.20 €18.94

24.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.80 €30.53

$32.90 €28.06

8.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 €47.22

$48.41 €41.29

14.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.86 €22.06

$26.47 €22.58

-2.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.74

$9.70 €8.27

5.67%

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

$552 €471

$524 €447

5.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,440

$6,366 €5,430

73.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €79.8

$63.9 €54.5

46.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 €40.76

$32.02 €27.31

49.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.4

$68.3 €58.3

50.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$106 €90.6

14.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 €546

$502 €428

27.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 €485

$382 €326

48.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 €995

$786 €670

48.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 €868

$615 €525

65.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,244 €3,620

$2,822 €2,407

50.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,498 €2,984

$2,557 €2,181

36.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,370 €1,169

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.42

12.90%

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

Last update for Athens: April 20, 2026

Last update for Nea Smyrni: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Athens and $502 in Nea Smyrni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Athens vs $57 in Nea Smyrni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $270 per month, with Nea Smyrni cheaper across the board.

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 Nea Smyrni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nea Smyrni wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nea Smyrni the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,611 in Athens and $2,065 in Nea Smyrni to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $640 in Athens versus $502 in Nea Smyrni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nea Smyrni – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $63.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,740 per month in Athens versus $1,376 in Nea Smyrni – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,376 in Nea Smyrni versus $1,740 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nea Smyrni but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Nea Smyrni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nea Smyrni delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,376 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nea Smyrni hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Nea Smyrni 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 Nea Smyrni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.