Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Neum

For one person, living is cheaper in Neum: $955 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Neum
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
$955
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Neum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $955 in Neum.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Neum $955

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,410 in Neum.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Neum $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $1,866 in Neum.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Neum $1,866

Living in Athens is roughly 86% more expensive than in Neum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Neum is 29% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Neum
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.91
$5.29 BAM 9.24
215.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.6
$30.98 BAM 54.1
118.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.95
$5.67 BAM 9.91
96.47%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.60
$1.90 BAM 3.32
112.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.47
$1.90 BAM 3.33
45.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.18 BAM 2.07
-53.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.13
$2.52 BAM 4.41
127.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.87
$2.19 BAM 3.83
148.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Neum
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.12 BAM 1.96
62.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$0.95 BAM 1.65
45.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$2.07 BAM 3.62
35.27%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.32
$2.57 BAM 4.48
87.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.45
$7.88 BAM 13.77
90.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.50
$7.37 BAM 12.87
44.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.46
$10.39 BAM 18.15
77.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.12 BAM 1.96
96.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.62 BAM 2.83
17.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.36 BAM 2.37
0.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.88
$1.20 BAM 2.09
75.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.97
$0.98 BAM 1.72
10.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.01
$0.99 BAM 1.72
13.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.76 BAM 1.32
47.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.71 BAM 1.24
23.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.90
$3.93 BAM 6.86
39.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.05
$3.99 BAM 6.96
153.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.90
$0.78 BAM 1.36
173.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.01
$0.89 BAM 1.55
152.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Neum
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.27 BAM 2.21
7.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.71
$57.4 BAM 100
-47.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.98
$1.74 BAM 3.05
155.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.91
$0.60 BAM 1.04
70.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.12
$5.79 BAM 10.11
192.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.01
$1.55 BAM 2.70
45.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$29.9K BAM 52.2K
-6.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.2K
$21.3K BAM 37.3K
32.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Neum
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €183
$135 BAM 237
51.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.82
$17.64 BAM 30.82
51.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.15
$25.86 BAM 45.18
17.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Neum
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.69
$32.47 BAM 56.7
67.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.12
$11.52 BAM 20.13
124.65%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.31
$5.74 BAM 10.02
81.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Neum
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €509
$198 BAM 346
187.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$2,317 BAM 4,048
443.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Neum
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €79.2
$59.4 BAM 104
49.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €36.16
$33.42 BAM 58.4
21.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.8
$85.8 BAM 150
22.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$83.3 BAM 146
45.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Neum
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €662
$345 BAM 603
114.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €585
$248 BAM 433
164.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,161
$506 BAM 884
156.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,026
$355 BAM 620
223.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,587
$2,410 BAM 4,210
66.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,092
$1,786 BAM 3,120
93.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Neum
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,110
$847 BAM 1,480
46.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
2.9
54.48%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Neum: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Neum
$248 62.2% $407
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Neum
$188 39.5% $123
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Neum
$112 58.4% $157
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Neum
$179 31.6% $83
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Neum
$118 26.3% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Neum
$44 41.7% $31
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Neum
$67 49.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $345 in Neum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 47% 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: $68.0 in Athens vs $31.00 in Neum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $188 per month, with Neum cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇧🇦 Neum
🕒 Local time
12:58 12:58 PM
11:58 11:58 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
3,200
Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.572 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Neum 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Neum

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 Neum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Neum?
Neum wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Neum the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Neum?
Average pay runs 47% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Neum?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $345 in Neum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Neum?
Dining out is cheaper in Neum – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Athens compared to Neum?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $955 in Neum – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Neum?
At $955 in Neum versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Neum but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Neum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Neum?
Both work as nomad bases, but Neum delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $955 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Neum hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Neum?
Safety-wise, Athens and Neum are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Neum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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