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: $1,834 in Athens versus $1,438 in Nea Smyrni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Athens versus $2,215 in Nea Smyrni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Athens versus $2,992 in Nea Smyrni.

Living in Athens is roughly 28% more expensive than in Nea Smyrni, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 33% above, Nea Smyrni 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 €15.26

$11.41 €9.84

55.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.8

$63.2 €54.5

11.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.05

$9.08 €7.83

28.30%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.74

$4.10 €3.53

5.61%

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

$2.97 €2.56

$2.39 €2.06

24.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.50

$0.60 €0.52

-3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$4.53 €3.90

29.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.94

$5.11 €4.40

12.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.61 €1.39

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.52 €1.31

1.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$2.47 €2.13

17.81%

Eggs

$4.63 €3.99

$4.87 €4.20

-4.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.58

$11.88 €10.24

32.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 €9.49

$10.27 €8.86

7.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.46

$14.82 €12.77

28.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.22 €1.91

0.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.15 €1.85

-2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.48 €1.27

-0.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.96 €1.69

12.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.13 €0.98

2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.21 €1.05

-2.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €1.00

$0.87 €0.75

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$0.88 €0.76

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.91

$5.24 €4.52

8.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 €9.07

$7.08 €6.10

48.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.77 €1.52

25.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.72 €2.35

1.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.43 €1.23

-3.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 €27.56

$48.96 €42.20

-34.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.56 €3.93

2.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.03 €0.89

2.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €14.95

$14.76 €12.72

17.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.28 €1.97

2.19%

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

$28.6K €24.7K

$29.5K €25.5K

-3.16%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$24.7K €21.3K

19.48%

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

$229 €197

$226 €195

1.19%

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

$28.03 €24.16

$24.98 €21.53

12.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.16 €27.72

$32.19 €27.75

-0.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.67

$51.6 €44.44

9.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 €24.38

$26.49 €22.84

6.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.46

$9.38 €8.09

16.95%

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

$597 €515

$493 €425

21.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.7K

$4,798 €4,136

183.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €80.6

$70.7 €61.0

32.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €35.91

$36.81 €31.73

13.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.3

$78.9 €68.0

34.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$111 €96.1

19.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €637

$505 €435

46.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €570

$399 €344

65.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,155

$795 €686

68.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,011

$675 €582

73.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,006 €3,453

$2,937 €2,531

36.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,438 €2,964

$2,455 €2,116

40.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,293 €1,115

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.36

0.23%

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

Last update for Athens: September 5, 2026

Last update for Nea Smyrni: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Athens and $505 in Nea Smyrni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Athens vs $63.0 in Nea Smyrni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $280 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 28% 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 $2,751 in Athens and $2,157 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: $739 in Athens versus $505 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 $63.0 versus $71.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,834 per month in Athens versus $1,438 in Nea Smyrni – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,438 in Nea Smyrni versus $1,834 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 $1,438 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 28% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.