Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Orestiada Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Orestiada

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,740 in Athens versus $1,519 in Orestiada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,669 in Athens versus $2,290 in Orestiada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,598 in Athens versus $3,060 in Orestiada.

Living in Athens is roughly 15% more expensive than Orestiada, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 30% above, Orestiada 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €14.65

$13.77 €11.75

24.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.3

$61.9 €52.8

1.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 €8.82

$9.79 €8.35

5.62%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.72

$2.86 €2.44

52.45%

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

$2.41 €2.06

$1.63 €1.39

47.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.53

$0.79 €0.67

-21.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.07

$5.68 €4.85

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 €5.05

$5.90 €5.03

0.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.57

$1.92 €1.64

-3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.29 €1.10

9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.48

$1.44 €1.23

102.08%

Eggs

$4.96 €4.23

$4.01 €3.42

23.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.13 €12.91

$6.85 €5.84

120.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 €9.28

$9.97 €8.51

9.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 €12.94

$9.78 €8.35

55.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.72 €1.47

33.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.85

$2.10 €1.79

3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.19 €1.01

32.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.86 €2.44

-20.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.74 €1.49

-20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €0.99

$0.91 €0.78

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.26 €1.07

1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.84 €0.72

20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.50 €4.70

$4.75 €4.05

15.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 €9.56

$6.90 €5.89

62.32%

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

$2.70 €2.30

10.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 €1.19

$1.58 €1.34

-11.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.21 €30.04

$46.08 €39.31

-23.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €3.85

$4.56 €3.89

-1.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.32 €14.78

$13.62 €11.62

27.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.20 €1.88

-6.36%

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

$28.6K €24.4K

$31.5K €26.9K

-9.33%

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

$30.4K €25.9K

$26.3K €22.5K

15.34%

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

$213 €182

$411 €351

-48.11%

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

$27.70 €23.63

$22.75 €19.40

21.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.80 €30.53

$35.10 €29.94

1.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 €47.22

$57.7 €49.24

-4.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.86 €22.06

$26.25 €22.40

-1.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.74

$8.23 €7.02

24.54%

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

$552 €471

$427 €364

29.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,440

$6,071 €5,179

82.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €79.8

$42.79 €36.50

118.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 €40.76

$37.93 €32.36

26.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.4

$83.6 €71.4

22.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$181 €155

-33.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 €546

$494 €421

29.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 €485

$294 €251

93.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 €995

$523 €446

122.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 €868

$622 €531

63.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,244 €3,620

$2,965 €2,529

43.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,498 €2,984

$2,409 €2,055

45.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,370 €1,169

$1,329 €1,134

3.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.43

12.64%

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

Last update for Athens: April 20, 2026

Last update for Orestiada: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Athens and $494 in Orestiada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 3% 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: $63 in Athens vs $62 in Orestiada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $245 per month, with Orestiada 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 Orestiada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Orestiada wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Orestiada the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athens pays 3% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $640 in Athens versus $494 in Orestiada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Orestiada – a meal for two runs $62.0 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 $1,519 in Orestiada – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,519 in Orestiada versus $1,740 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Orestiada but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Orestiada the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Orestiada delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,519 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Orestiada hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Orestiada 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 Orestiada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.