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: $1,834 in Athens versus $1,549 in Orestiada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Athens versus $2,357 in Orestiada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Athens versus $3,166 in Orestiada.

Living in Athens is roughly 18% more expensive than in Orestiada, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 33% above, Orestiada 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 €15.22

$15.84 €13.62

11.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.6

$60.0 €51.6

17.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.02

$10.34 €8.89

12.67%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.73

$2.93 €2.52

47.78%

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

$2.97 €2.55

$1.72 €1.48

72.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.50

$0.76 €0.65

-23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$4.73 €4.07

23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.92

$5.56 €4.78

3.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.88 €1.62

4.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.30 €1.12

19.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$1.51 €1.30

92.72%

Eggs

$4.63 €3.98

$3.91 €3.36

18.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.55

$6.86 €5.90

129.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 €9.47

$9.77 €8.40

12.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.42

$9.77 €8.40

95.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$1.76 €1.52

27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.15 €1.85

-2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.15 €0.99

27.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.90 €2.49

-23.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.67 €1.44

-30.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$0.89 €0.76

32.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.28 €1.10

-9.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$0.84 €0.72

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.90

$4.70 €4.04

21.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 €9.05

$6.55 €5.63

60.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.14 €1.84

4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.38

$2.79 €2.40

-0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.41 €1.21

-2.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 €27.49

$49.59 €42.64

-35.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.01

$4.18 €3.59

11.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.13 €0.97

-6.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €14.91

$17.77 €15.28

-2.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.00

$2.22 €1.91

4.95%

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

$28.6K €24.6K

-0.09%

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

$29.6K €25.4K

$26.2K €22.5K

13.04%

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

$229 €197

$416 €358

-44.99%

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

$28.03 €24.10

$24.90 €21.41

12.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.16 €27.65

$34.47 €29.64

-6.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.55

$58.4 €50.2

-3.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 €24.32

$26.29 €22.61

7.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.43

$8.03 €6.90

36.61%

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

$597 €514

$439 €378

35.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.7K

$6,840 €5,881

99.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €80.4

$43.04 €37.00

117.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €35.81

$40.56 €34.87

2.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.1

$83.3 €71.6

27.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$182 €156

-26.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €635

$510 €438

45.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €569

$286 €246

131.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,152

$524 €450

155.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,008

$676 €581

73.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,006 €3,444

$2,930 €2,519

36.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,438 €2,956

$2,387 €2,053

44.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,293 €1,112

$1,360 €1,169

-4.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.44

-1.58%

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

Last update for Athens: September 5, 2026

Last update for Orestiada: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Athens and $510 in Orestiada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Orestiada pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Athens vs $60.0 in Orestiada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $244 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 18% 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.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Orestiada. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $739 in Athens versus $510 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 $60.0 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 $1,549 in Orestiada – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,549 in Orestiada versus $1,834 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 $1,549 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 18% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.