Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Niksic

For one person, living is cheaper in Niksic: $968 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Niksic
🇲🇪 Montenegro
$968
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Niksic

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $968 in Niksic.

  • Athens $1,806
  • Niksic $968

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $1,458 in Niksic.

  • Athens $2,731
  • Niksic $1,458

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $1,947 in Niksic.

  • Athens $3,656
  • Niksic $1,947

Living in Athens is roughly 87% more expensive than in Niksic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 35% above, Niksic is 28% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Niksic
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.87
$8.03 €7.17
107.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €59.1
$30.25 €27.00
118.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.06 €9.87
$5.62 €5.02
96.80%
Cappuccino
$4.14 €3.69
$1.71 €1.53
142.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.50
$1.94 €1.73
44.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$1.11 €0.99
-48.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.03
$1.93 €1.72
192.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.87
$2.28 €2.04
139.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Niksic
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.10 €0.98
78.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.26
$0.88 €0.78
60.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 €2.53
$1.97 €1.76
43.65%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.50
$3.04 €2.71
65.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.35 €13.70
$7.64 €6.81
100.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.34 €9.23
$6.12 €5.47
68.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.97 €16.93
$10.76 €9.60
76.30%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.09 €0.98
99.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.24 €1.10
54.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.33 €1.19
3.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.08 €1.86
5.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$0.94 €0.84
17.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.00
$1.02 €0.91
10.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.05 €0.93
4.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$0.86 €0.76
-3.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.60 €4.99
$4.17 €3.73
34.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 €9.09
$4.99 €4.45
104.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.95
$0.98 €0.88
122.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.19
$1.12 €1.00
118.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Niksic
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.09 €0.98
26.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.87 €27.55
$33.16 €29.60
-6.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.90
$0.58 €0.52
653.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$0.58 €0.52
79.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.11 €15.27
$7.21 €6.44
137.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.72 €1.53
34.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$21.4K €19.1K
30.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$26.1K €23.3K
7.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Niksic
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €187
$120 €107
74.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.70 €23.83
$22.98 €20.50
16.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.13 €26.89
$24.09 €21.49
25.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Niksic
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.6 €48.72
$34.15 €30.48
59.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.03 €23.23
$10.40 €9.28
150.29%
Cinema Ticket
$10.78 €9.62
$5.54 €4.94
94.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Niksic
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$575 €513
$82.1 €73.2
600.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K €11.7K
$4,484 €4,002
192.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Niksic
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 €83.1
$83.9 €74.9
11.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.68 €36.30
$31.47 €28.09
29.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.9
$89.1 €79.5
16.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$110 €98.6
16.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Niksic
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €674
$425 €379
77.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €582
$268 €239
143.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,154
$602 €537
114.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,163 €1,038
$416 €371
179.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,008 €3,577
$1,635 €1,459
145.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,452 €3,081
$1,210 €1,080
185.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Niksic
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,243 €1,110
$808 €721
53.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5.5
-18.55%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Niksic: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$652
Niksic
$268 58.9% $384
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$315
Niksic
$191 39.4% $124
Eating Out
Athens
$269
Niksic
$128 52.4% $141
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$267
Niksic
$167 37.3% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$165
Niksic
$142 14% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$76
Niksic
$45 40.6% $31
Getting Around
Athens
$46
Niksic
$41 10.7% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $425 in Niksic. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 54% 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: $66.0 in Athens vs $30.00 in Niksic for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $191 per month, with Niksic cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇲🇪 Niksic
🕒 Local time
13:17 1:17 PM
12:17 12:17 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
56,970
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Niksic 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Niksic

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 Niksic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Niksic?
Niksic wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Niksic the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Niksic?
Average pay runs 54% 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 Niksic?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Athens versus $425 in Niksic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Niksic?
Dining out is cheaper in Niksic – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $66.0 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 Niksic?
All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $968 in Niksic – a 87% 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 Niksic?
At $968 in Niksic versus $1,806 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Niksic but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Niksic the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Niksic?
Both work as nomad bases, but Niksic delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $968 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Niksic hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Niksic?
Safety-wise, Athens and Niksic 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 Niksic gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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