Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Piraeus Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Piraeus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,834 in Athens versus $1,557 in Piraeus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Athens versus $2,443 in Piraeus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Athens versus $3,329 in Piraeus.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 33% above, Piraeus 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 €15.26

$17.39 €14.99

1.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.8

$58.8 €50.7

20.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.05

$10.48 €9.04

11.16%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.74

$4.01 €3.45

7.98%

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

$2.97 €2.56

$1.55 €1.34

91.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.50

$0.56 €0.48

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$5.96 €5.14

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.94

$5.97 €5.15

-4.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.86 €1.61

5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.09 €0.94

42.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$2.83 €2.44

2.83%

Eggs

$4.63 €3.99

$3.80 €3.28

21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.58

$14.34 €12.36

9.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 €9.49

$10.42 €8.99

5.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.46

$14.04 €12.10

36.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.32 €2.00

-3.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.28 €1.96

-7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.20 €1.03

22.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.83 €1.57

20.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.21 €1.05

-4.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$0.97 €0.83

21.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €1.00

$0.97 €0.83

19.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$1.03 €0.88

-6.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.91

$5.20 €4.48

9.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 €9.07

$9.48 €8.17

10.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.12 €1.83

5.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.39

$4.14 €3.57

-33.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.42 €1.23

-2.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 €27.56

$35.32 €30.44

-9.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.53 €3.90

3.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$2.30 €1.98

-53.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €14.95

$28.81 €24.83

-39.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.16 €1.86

7.87%

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

$28.6K €24.7K

$31.3K €27.0K

-8.54%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$26.1K €22.5K

13.15%

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

$229 €197

$211 €182

8.61%

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

$28.03 €24.16

$23.77 €20.49

17.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.16 €27.72

$33.47 €28.85

-3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.67

$49.12 €42.34

14.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 €24.38

$41.40 €35.69

-31.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.46

$10.29 €8.87

6.61%

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

$597 €515

$415 €357

44.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €80.6

$75.5 €65.1

23.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €35.91

$40.42 €34.84

3.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.3

$127 €110

-16.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$123 €106

8.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €637

$565 €487

30.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €570

$430 €371

53.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,155

$1,056 €911

26.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,011

$799 €689

46.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,006 €3,453

$3,485 €3,004

14.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,438 €2,964

$2,754 €2,374

24.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,293 €1,115

$1,110 €957

16.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.83

-9.52%

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

Last update for Athens: September 5, 2026

Last update for Piraeus: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Athens and $565 in Piraeus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 17% 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: $71.0 in Athens vs $59.0 in Piraeus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $292 per month, with Piraeus 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 Piraeus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piraeus wins on cost – living expenses run 18% 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 17% 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: $739 in Athens versus $565 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 $59.0 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 $1,557 in Piraeus – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,557 in Piraeus versus $1,834 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piraeus but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Piraeus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Piraeus delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,557 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Piraeus hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Piraeus 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 Piraeus 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.