Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Orleans

For one person, living is cheaper in Orleans: $1,583 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Orleans
🇫🇷 France
$1,583
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Orleans

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,583 in Orleans.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Orleans $1,583

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,398 in Orleans.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Orleans $2,398

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,214 in Orleans.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Orleans $3,214

Living in Athens is roughly 12% more expensive than in Orleans, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Orleans 17% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Orleans
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.88
$16.98 €15.14
-1.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.4
$54.8 €48.87
23.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.93
$11.18 €9.97
-0.36%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.59
$2.86 €2.55
40.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.47
$2.97 €2.65
-6.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.41 €1.26
-60.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.11
$5.48 €4.89
4.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.86
$6.57 €5.86
-17.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Orleans
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.13 €1.01
61.06%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.12 €1.00
23.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$2.23 €1.99
25.56%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.31
$3.55 €3.16
36.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.42
$12.49 €11.13
20.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.47
$9.24 €8.24
15.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.43
$19.64 €17.51
-6.16%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.27 €2.03
-3.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$2.29 €2.04
-17.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.47 €2.20
-44.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.26 €2.02
-7.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.10 €0.98
-1.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.10 €0.98
1.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.09 €0.97
2.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.11 €0.99
-20.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.89
$14.63 €13.05
-62.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.03
$6.31 €5.63
60.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.90
$2.28 €2.04
-6.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.01
$3.27 €2.91
-31.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Orleans
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.99 €1.77
-31.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.65
$53.8 €47.93
-44.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.97
$9.00 €8.02
-50.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.91
$1.20 €1.07
-15.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.09
$22.07 €19.67
-23.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.97 €1.75
14.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$27.7K €24.7K
1.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.2K
$36.4K €32.4K
-22.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Orleans
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$182 €162
12.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.76
$23.24 €20.72
14.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.09
$28.23 €25.17
7.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Orleans
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.58
$31.37 €27.97
73.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.07
$7.98 €7.12
224.31%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.29
$13.79 €12.30
-24.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Orleans
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €507
$886 €790
-35.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$3,491 €3,113
260.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Orleans
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €79.1
$79.5 €70.9
11.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €36.08
$40.86 €36.43
-0.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.5
$93.2 €83.1
12.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$103 €92.2
17.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Orleans
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €661
$764 €681
-3.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €584
$521 €464
25.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,159
$1,057 €942
22.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,023
$878 €783
30.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,579
$2,701 €2,408
48.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,085
$2,062 €1,839
67.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Orleans
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,108
$3,244 €2,893
-61.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.81
17.59%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Orleans: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Orleans
$521 20.4% $134
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Orleans
$288 7.2% $22
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Orleans
$262 2.3% $6.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Orleans
$234 10.7% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Orleans
$143 10.8% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Orleans
$59 21.7% $16
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Orleans
$77 71% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $764 in Orleans. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Orleans pays 161% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $55.0 in Orleans for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $288 per month, with Orleans cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇫🇷 Orleans
🕒 Local time
07:50 7:50 AM
06:50 6:50 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
116,617
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Orleans 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Orleans

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 Orleans: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Orleans?
Orleans wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Orleans the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Orleans?
On paper, salaries run 161% lower in Orleans. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Orleans?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $764 in Orleans. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Orleans?
Dining out is cheaper in Orleans – a meal for two runs $55.0 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 Orleans?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,583 in Orleans – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Orleans?
At $1,583 in Orleans versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Orleans but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Orleans the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Orleans?
Both work as nomad bases, but Orleans delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,583 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Orleans hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Orleans?
Safety-wise, Athens and Orleans 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 Orleans gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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