Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ouargla

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouargla: $522 a month against $1,771 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Ouargla
🇩🇿 Algeria
$522
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Ouargla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $522 in Ouargla.

  • Athens $1,771
  • Ouargla $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $846 in Ouargla.

  • Athens $2,736
  • Ouargla $846

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $1,170 in Ouargla.

  • Athens $3,701
  • Ouargla $1,170

Living in Athens is roughly 239% more expensive than in Ouargla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Ouargla is 61% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Ouargla
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.97
$3.07 DZD 412
448.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 €60.7
$17.46 DZD 2,338
290.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 €10.17
$3.95 DZD 528
189.37%
Cappuccino
$4.06 €3.61
$0.64 DZD 85.0
534.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.44
$0.58 DZD 77.7
372.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 €0.47
$0.24 DZD 31.92
120.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.06
$1.49 DZD 200
281.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 €5.06
$2.18 DZD 292
160.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Ouargla
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.64
$0.82 DZD 110
125.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 €1.28
$0.15 DZD 20.61
860.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$1.10 DZD 147
156.36%
Eggs
$4.86 €4.32
$1.23 DZD 165
295.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.27 €13.58
$7.81 DZD 1,046
95.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.36 €9.21
$3.99 DZD 534
159.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.10 €16.99
$14.19 DZD 1,900
34.60%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$2.03 DZD 272
9.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$2.84 DZD 380
-32.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 €1.25
$1.07 DZD 143
31.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$0.90 DZD 120
126.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 €0.93
$0.61 DZD 81.9
72.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 €1.04
$0.49 DZD 65.1
138.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.70 DZD 94.2
54.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 €0.75
$0.27 DZD 36.44
211.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.49 €4.89
$2.67 DZD 358
105.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.17 €9.05
$6.55 DZD 876
55.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.24 DZD 166
71.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.88 DZD 251
21.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Ouargla
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.37 €1.22
$0.24 DZD 32.15
470.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.71 €26.43
$6.53 DZD 875
354.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.39 €3.90
$0.57 DZD 76.6
670.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 €0.89
$0.43 DZD 57.8
132.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 €14.79
$5.07 DZD 679
228.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.38 €2.11
$0.35 DZD 46.99
580.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K €25.3K
$31.6K DZD 4.2M
-10.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K €24.2K
$34.2K DZD 4.6M
-20.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Ouargla
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 €181
$36.26 DZD 4,854
461.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.79 €23.83
$8.99 DZD 1,204
198.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.16 €26.82
$12.30 DZD 1,647
145.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Ouargla
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.7 €47.74
$22.21 DZD 2,973
141.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.40 €23.48
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.59 €9.42
$4.39 DZD 588
141.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Ouargla
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$566 €504
$327 DZD 43.8K
73.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.4K
$4,685 DZD 627.2K
174.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Ouargla
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 €79.3
$32.42 DZD 4,341
174.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 €36.01
$35.14 DZD 4,704
15.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.3
$68.0 DZD 9,104
52.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$80.7 DZD 10.8K
53.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Ouargla
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 €648
$143 DZD 19.1K
410.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$647 €576
$93.8 DZD 12.6K
590.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,328 €1,181
$273 DZD 36.6K
386.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$192 DZD 25.7K
507.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,024 €3,579
$955 DZD 127.8K
321.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,483 €3,098
$1,033 DZD 138.3K
237.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Ouargla
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,240 €1,103
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5.3
-15.47%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ouargla: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$647
Ouargla
$94 85.5% $554
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$312
Ouargla
$173 44.7% $140
Eating Out
Athens
$271
Ouargla
$59 78.1% $211
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Ouargla
$58 77.9% $203
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$161
Ouargla
$97 39.5% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Ouargla
$31 58.6% $44
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Ouargla
$10 77% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $143 in Ouargla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $17.00 in Ouargla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $173 per month, with Ouargla cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇩🇿 Ouargla
🕒 Local time
19:35 7:35 PM
17:35 5:35 PM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
133,024
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Ouargla 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Ouargla

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 Ouargla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Ouargla?
Ouargla wins on cost – living expenses run 239% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ouargla the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Athens and in Ouargla?
You'd need roughly $2,657 in Athens and $783 in Ouargla to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Ouargla?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Athens versus $143 in Ouargla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Ouargla?
Dining out is cheaper in Ouargla – a meal for two runs $17.00 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 Ouargla?
All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $522 in Ouargla – a 239% 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 Ouargla?
At $522 in Ouargla versus $1,771 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ouargla but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Ouargla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Ouargla?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ouargla delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $522 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ouargla hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Ouargla?
Safety-wise, Athens and Ouargla 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 Ouargla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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