Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Povoa de Varzim

For one person, living is cheaper in Povoa de Varzim: $1,681 a month against $1,771 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Athens despite lower rent and utilities.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Povoa de Varzim
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,681
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Povoa de Varzim

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 Povoa de Varzim actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $1,681 in Povoa de Varzim.

  • Athens $1,771
  • Povoa de Varzim $1,681

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $2,465 in Povoa de Varzim.

  • Athens $2,736
  • Povoa de Varzim $2,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $3,249 in Povoa de Varzim.

  • Athens $3,701
  • Povoa de Varzim $3,249

Living in Athens is roughly 5% more expensive than in Povoa de Varzim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Povoa de Varzim 24% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Povoa de Varzim
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.97
$13.29 €11.83
26.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 €60.7
$50.4 €44.79
35.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 €10.17
$9.99 €8.89
14.41%
Cappuccino
$4.06 €3.61
$1.92 €1.71
111.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.44
$1.96 €1.74
39.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 €0.47
$1.32 €1.17
-59.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.06
$2.26 €2.01
151.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 €5.06
$3.25 €2.89
74.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Povoa de Varzim
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.14 €1.01
62.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.55 €1.38
-7.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$1.45 €1.29
94.48%
Eggs
$4.86 €4.32
$3.29 €2.92
47.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.27 €13.58
$11.51 €10.24
32.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.36 €9.21
$6.92 €6.15
49.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.10 €16.99
$16.39 €14.58
16.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$2.22 €1.97
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$1.57 €1.40
22.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 €1.25
$1.83 €1.63
-22.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$2.48 €2.21
-17.74%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.63 €1.45
-35.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.80 €1.60
-35.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.60 €1.43
-32.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 €0.75
$0.71 €0.63
18.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.49 €4.89
$6.57 €5.84
-16.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.17 €9.05
$5.54 €4.93
83.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.30 €1.16
63.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.09 €1.86
9.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Povoa de Varzim
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.28 €2.02
-39.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.71 €26.43
$41.70 €37.09
-28.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.39 €3.90
$3.84 €3.41
14.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 €0.89
$0.87 €0.77
14.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 €14.79
$14.13 €12.57
17.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.38 €2.11
$2.12 €1.88
12.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K €25.3K
$32.9K €29.2K
-13.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K €24.2K
$35.9K €31.9K
-24.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Povoa de Varzim
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 €181
$160 €142
27.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.79 €23.83
$22.10 €19.66
21.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.16 €26.82
$33.16 €29.49
-9.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Povoa de Varzim
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.7 €47.74
$41.51 €36.92
29.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.40 €23.48
$16.96 €15.08
55.66%
Cinema Ticket
$10.59 €9.42
$9.09 €8.08
16.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Povoa de Varzim
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$566 €504
$583 €519
-2.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.4K
$10.5K €9,310
22.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Povoa de Varzim
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 €79.3
$97.7 €86.9
-8.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 €36.01
$33.49 €29.79
20.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.3
$93.3 €83.0
11.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$104 €92.8
19.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Povoa de Varzim
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 €648
$964 €857
-24.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$647 €576
$760 €676
-14.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,328 €1,181
$1,511 €1,344
-12.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$1,194 €1,062
-2.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,024 €3,579
$3,067 €2,728
31.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,483 €3,098
$2,240 €1,992
55.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Povoa de Varzim
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,240 €1,103
$1,459 €1,297
-14.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.67
22.07%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Povoa de Varzim: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$647
Povoa de Varzim
$760 17.4% $112
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$312
Povoa de Varzim
$250 20.1% $63
Eating Out
Athens
$271
Povoa de Varzim
$190 29.7% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Povoa de Varzim
$215 17.5% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$161
Povoa de Varzim
$148 8.1% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Povoa de Varzim
$60 20.3% $15
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Povoa de Varzim
$59 32.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $964 in Povoa de Varzim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Povoa de Varzim pays 18% 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 $50.0 in Povoa de Varzim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $250 per month, with Povoa de Varzim cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇵🇹 Povoa de Varzim
🕒 Local time
03:19 3:19 AM
01:19 1:19 AM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
64,257
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Povoa de Varzim 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Povoa de Varzim

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 Povoa de Varzim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Povoa de Varzim?
Povoa de Varzim wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Povoa de Varzim the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Povoa de Varzim?
On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Povoa de Varzim. 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 Povoa de Varzim?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Athens versus $964 in Povoa de Varzim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Povoa de Varzim?
Dining out is cheaper in Povoa de Varzim – a meal for two runs $50.0 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 Povoa de Varzim?
All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $1,681 in Povoa de Varzim – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Athens or in Povoa de Varzim?
At $1,681 in Povoa de Varzim versus $1,771 in Athens, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Povoa de Varzim but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Povoa de Varzim the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Povoa de Varzim?
Both work as nomad bases, but Povoa de Varzim delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,681 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Povoa de Varzim hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Povoa de Varzim?
Safety-wise, Athens and Povoa de Varzim 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 Povoa de Varzim gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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