For one person, living is cheaper in Ordu: $899 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Ordu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $899 in Ordu.
Athens $1,779
Ordu $899
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,398 in Ordu.
Athens $2,721
Ordu $1,398
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $1,898 in Ordu.
Athens $3,663
Ordu $1,898
🌍
Living in Athens is roughly 98% more expensive than in Ordu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Ordu is 34% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Ordu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83€14.99
$10.92₺548
54.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0€58.8
$28.44₺1,426
132.07%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.21€9.98
$8.17₺410
37.21%
Cappuccino
$4.08€3.64
$2.55₺128
60.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77€2.47
$1.36₺68.4
103.68%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54€0.48
$0.34₺17.30
58.82%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.70€5.07
$3.91₺196
45.78%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.26€5.58
$2.81₺141
122.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Ordu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.84€1.64
$0.92₺46.15
100.00%
White Bread(500g)
$1.43€1.27
$0.45₺22.58
217.78%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.67€2.38
$2.30₺115
16.09%
Eggs
$4.95€4.41
$1.37₺68.7
261.31%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.09€13.44
$8.45₺424
78.58%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.99€9.79
$4.55₺228
141.54%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$19.77€17.60
$15.45₺775
27.96%
Apples(1kg)
$2.12€1.89
$1.09₺54.5
94.50%
Banana(1kg)
$1.98€1.76
$1.52₺76.2
30.26%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.33€1.18
$0.84₺41.97
58.33%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.16€1.92
$1.02₺51.3
111.76%
Potato(1kg)
$1.06€0.94
$0.43₺21.33
146.51%
Onion(1kg)
$1.15€1.02
$0.34₺17.02
238.24%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.08€0.96
$0.88₺44.23
22.73%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85€0.75
$0.66₺33.17
28.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.46€4.86
$2.14₺107
155.14%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.03€8.93
$14.99₺752
-33.09%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04€1.82
$2.21₺111
-7.69%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38€2.12
$1.63₺81.9
46.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Ordu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.35€1.20
$0.89₺44.61
51.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$30.52€27.18
$26.40₺1,324
15.61%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.81€3.39
$3.00₺150
27.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.03€0.92
$0.63₺31.44
63.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.49€14.68
$6.46₺324
155.26%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.34€2.09
$1.32₺66.1
77.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K€24.7K
$39.7K₺2.0M
-30.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K€23.7K
$44.7K₺2.2M
-40.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Ordu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$202€180
$69.8₺3,503
189.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.81€23.87
$12.19₺611
119.93%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.49€27.14
$11.43₺573
166.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Ordu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$54.1€48.14
$50.4₺2,529
7.22%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.40€24.40
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.44€9.30
$6.88₺345
51.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Ordu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$568€505
$248₺12.4K
129.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.2K€13.5K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Ordu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.7€80.7
$23.16₺1,161
291.41%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.32€35.01
$34.14₺1,712
15.17%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$105€93.7
$48.44₺2,430
117.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129€115
$70.7₺3,545
82.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Ordu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$742€661
$405₺20.3K
83.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$648€577
$247₺12.4K
162.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,271€1,132
$609₺30.5K
108.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,122€999
$467₺23.4K
139.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,999€3,561
$826₺41.4K
384.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,281€2,921
$645₺32.3K
409.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Ordu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,245€1,109
$1,190₺59.7K
4.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.44
20
-77.80%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026
Last update for Ordu: November 1, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$648 36.4%
Ordu
$247 27.5% ↓ 61.9%$401
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$316 17.8%
Ordu
$204 22.7% ↓ 35.7%$113
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$272 15.3%
Ordu
$175 19.4% ↓ 35.7%$97
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260 14.6%
Ordu
$93 10.4% ↓ 64%$166
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$164 9.2%
Ordu
$79 8.8% ↓ 51.6%$84
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75 4.2%
Ordu
$64 7.1% ↓ 14.4%$11
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$45 2.5%
Ordu
$36 4% ↓ 19.6%$8.8
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$1.1K 30.6%
Ordu
$467 24.6% ↓ 58.3%$654
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$743 20.3%
Ordu
$453 23.9% ↓ 39.1%$291
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$878 24%
Ordu
$494 26% ↓ 43.7%$384
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$286 7.8%
Ordu
$106 5.6% ↓ 63.1%$181
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$364 9.9%
Ordu
$176 9.3% ↓ 51.6%$188
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$177 4.8%
Ordu
$128 * 6.8% ↓ 27.6%$49
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$92 2.5%
Ordu
$74 3.9% ↓ 20%$19
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $405 in Ordu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Athens pays 5% 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 $28 in Ordu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $204 per month, with Ordu cheaper across the board.
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 Ordu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Ordu?
Ordu wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ordu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Ordu?
Average pay runs 5% 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 Ordu?
Rent for a central apartment: $742 in Athens versus $405 in Ordu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Ordu?
Dining out is cheaper in Ordu – a meal for two runs $28 versus $66 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 Ordu?
All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $899 in Ordu – Ordu is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Ordu?
At $899 in Ordu versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ordu but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Ordu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Athens or Ordu?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ordu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.