Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Piraeus

For one person, living is cheaper in Piraeus: $1,492 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Piraeus
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Piraeus Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Piraeus

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,492

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Piraeus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $1,492 in Piraeus.

Athens $1,759
Piraeus $1,492

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $2,319 in Piraeus.

Athens $2,696
Piraeus $2,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $3,145 in Piraeus.

Athens $3,632
Piraeus $3,145

Living in Athens is roughly 18% more expensive than in Piraeus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 29% above, Piraeus 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.32

$16.60 €14.92

2.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €59.2

$55.5 €49.87

18.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 €9.84

$10.24 €9.20

7.03%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.69

$3.70 €3.33

10.81%

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

$2.83 €2.54

$1.41 €1.27

100.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.53

$0.54 €0.48

9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.05

$5.67 €5.10

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.09

$5.68 €5.10

-0.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.87 €1.68

1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.09 €0.98

33.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.62 €2.36

3.44%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.53

$3.77 €3.39

33.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €13.55

$13.62 €12.24

10.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.23

$9.74 €8.75

5.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.43

$13.30 €11.95

45.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.91

$2.27 €2.04

-6.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.72

$2.21 €1.98

-13.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.19 €1.07

18.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$1.81 €1.63

17.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.94

$1.15 €1.03

-9.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.02

$0.93 €0.83

21.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.93 €0.84

21.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.99 €0.89

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 €4.96

$5.17 €4.65

6.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.98

$9.04 €8.12

10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$2.00 €1.79

2.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$4.07 €3.66

-43.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.31 €1.17

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 €27.56

$34.13 €30.66

-10.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.93

$4.44 €3.99

-1.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$2.30 €2.06

-55.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.05 €15.32

$27.45 €24.66

-37.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.11

$2.03 €1.83

15.27%

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

$28.3K €25.4K

$30.4K €27.3K

-6.95%

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

$26.8K €24.0K

$25.4K €22.8K

5.51%

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

$200 €180

$207 €186

-3.51%

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

$25.17 €22.62

$23.53 €21.14

6.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 €26.64

$31.60 €28.39

-6.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €45.32

$46.83 €42.08

7.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.94 €23.30

$39.04 €35.08

-33.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.46

$10.00 €8.98

5.20%

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

$576 €518

$394 €354

46.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €80.6

$74.8 €67.2

19.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 €35.55

$38.53 €34.62

2.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.7

$125 €112

-15.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$115 €103

7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €665

$549 €493

34.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €578

$413 €371

55.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,172

$1,033 €928

26.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €1,007

$774 €695

44.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,011 €3,604

$3,326 €2,989

20.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,284 €2,951

$2,638 €2,370

24.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 €1,099

$1,054 €947

16.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.83

-7.25%

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

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Piraeus: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$643 36.5%

Piraeus

$413 27.7% 35.7% $229

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.7%

Piraeus

$280 18.8% 10.2% $32

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.4%

Piraeus

$255 17.1% 6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$255 14.5%

Piraeus

$262 17.6% 3% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.2%

Piraeus

$159 10.7% 1.4% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$71 4.1%

Piraeus

$67 4.5% 6.5% $4.7

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.6%

Piraeus

$55 3.7% 21.7% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Athens and $549 in Piraeus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 16% 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: $66 in Athens vs $56 in Piraeus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $280 per month, with Piraeus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇬🇷 Piraeus

🕒 Local time

14:09 2:09 PM

Same time as Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

163,688

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Athens vs Piraeus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 16% higher in Athens, 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: $740 in Athens versus $549 in Piraeus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Piraeus – a meal for two runs $56 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,759 per month in Athens versus $1,492 in Piraeus – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Piraeus wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.