Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ostia

For one person, living costs are similar in Athens and in Ostia: $1,775 and $1,756 a month, rent and utilities included.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Ostia
Learn more

Ostia Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Ostia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Ostia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,756 in Ostia.

Athens $1,775
Ostia $1,756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,594 in Ostia.

Athens $2,721
Ostia $2,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,432 in Ostia.

Athens $3,666
Ostia $3,432

Living in Athens is roughly 1% more expensive than in Ostia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Ostia 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$16.51 €14.69

1.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$66.0 €58.7

2.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$11.36 €10.10

-1.94%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$2.25 €2.00

79.11%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$2.33 €2.07

18.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.20 €1.06

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$5.46 €4.86

5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$4.80 €4.27

13.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.67 €1.48

8.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.16 €1.92

-36.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$3.00 €2.67

-6.67%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$4.54 €4.04

6.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$14.92 €13.27

0.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$12.49 €11.11

-14.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$19.61 €17.44

-6.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.59 €2.30

-15.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.06 €1.84

-7.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.33 €2.07

-41.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.38 €2.11

-11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.44 €1.28

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.60 €1.42

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.32 €1.17

-15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.51 €0.46

72.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$6.63 €5.90

-17.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$5.42 €4.82

86.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.56 €1.39

36.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.50 €2.22

-10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.65 €1.47

-17.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$39.01 €34.70

-23.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$4.42 €3.93

0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.24 €1.11

-17.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$23.16 €20.60

-26.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.15 €1.91

4.65%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$35.3K €31.4K

-20.53%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$35.4K €31.5K

-20.28%

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

$205 €182

$197 €175

4.05%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$9.61 €8.55

177.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$31.13 €27.69

-2.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$56.1 €49.93

-2.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$11.20 €9.96

131.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$11.07 €9.85

-5.87%

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

$569 €506

$449 €400

26.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$8,805 €7,832

42.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$72.2 €64.2

22.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$36.65 €32.60

10.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$84.6 €75.2

24.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$125 €111

-2.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$853 €759

-13.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$673 €599

-2.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$1,130 €1,005

14.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$990 €881

15.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$1,992 €1,772

-37.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.5

28.00%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ostia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Ostia

$673 38.3% 2.8% $18

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Ostia

$324 18.4% 4.2% $13

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Ostia

$244 13.9% 8.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Ostia

$237 13.5% 9.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Ostia

$143 8.2% 10.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Ostia

$78 4.5% 3.9% $3

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Ostia

$56 3.2% 25.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $853 in Ostia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ostia pays 60% 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 $66.0 in Ostia. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $324, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇮🇹 Ostia

🕒 Local time

06:32 6:32 AM

05:32 5:32 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

79,400

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Ostia 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Ostia

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 Ostia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ostia wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ostia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Ostia. 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: $741 in Athens versus $853 in Ostia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ostia – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,756 in Ostia – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,756 in Ostia versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ostia but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Ostia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ostia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,756 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ostia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Ostia 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 Ostia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.