Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Prilep

For one person, living is cheaper in Prilep: $728 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Prilep
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Prilep Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Prilep

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$728

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Prilep

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $728 in Prilep.

Athens $1,775
Prilep $728

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,102 in Prilep.

Athens $2,721
Prilep $1,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $1,475 in Prilep.

Athens $3,666
Prilep $1,475

Living in Athens is roughly 144% more expensive than in Prilep, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Prilep is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$4.02 MKD 219

315.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$27.36 MKD 1,493

147.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$5.69 MKD 311

95.78%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$1.40 MKD 76.2

187.86%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$1.53 MKD 83.7

81.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.24 MKD 67.7

-55.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$1.58 MKD 86.0

263.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$2.04 MKD 111

167.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.13 MKD 61.4

61.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.72 MKD 39.21

91.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$1.53 MKD 83.5

83.01%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$2.03 MKD 110

137.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$6.91 MKD 377

117.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$5.86 MKD 320

81.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$10.88 MKD 594

69.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.87 MKD 47.62

152.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.38 MKD 75.5

37.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$0.94 MKD 51.1

45.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.30 MKD 71.2

61.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.78 MKD 42.29

38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.77 MKD 42.04

45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.59 MKD 32.01

89.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.45 MKD 24.62

95.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$2.86 MKD 156

91.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$4.94 MKD 269

105.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$0.95 MKD 51.8

124.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.18 MKD 64.6

90.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$0.37 MKD 20.43

267.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$18.48 MKD 1,008

61.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$1.06 MKD 57.8

319.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$0.60 MKD 32.82

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$6.51 MKD 355

159.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.46 MKD 79.7

54.11%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$33.3K MKD 1.8M

-15.86%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$26.9K MKD 1.5M

5.01%

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

$205 €182

$121 MKD 6,627

68.42%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$16.81 MKD 917

58.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$13.98 MKD 763

117.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$19.64 MKD 1,072

177.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$8.20 MKD 448

215.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$5.31 MKD 290

96.23%

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

$569 €506

$277 MKD 15.1K

105.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$1,161 MKD 63.3K

984.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$36.80 MKD 2,008

140.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$36.16 MKD 1,973

11.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$65.3 MKD 3,562

60.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$77.5 MKD 4,229

56.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$233 MKD 12.7K

217.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$169 MKD 9,201

288.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$497 MKD 27.1K

161.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$271 MKD 14.8K

323.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$1,021 MKD 55.7K

292.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$813 MKD 44.3K

325.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$586 MKD 32.0K

112.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.23

5.91%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Prilep: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Prilep

$169 23.2% 74.2% $486

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Prilep

$167 22.9% 46.2% $144

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Prilep

$89 12.2% 66.8% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Prilep

$152 20.9% 41.8% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Prilep

$97 13.3% 39.3% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Prilep

$30 4.2% 59.8% $45

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Prilep

$24 3.3% 46.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $233 in Prilep. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 112% 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: $68.0 in Athens vs $27.00 in Prilep for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $167 per month, with Prilep cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇲🇰 Prilep

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

02:48 2:48 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

63,308

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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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 Prilep: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Prilep wins on cost – living expenses run 144% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Prilep the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 112% 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: $741 in Athens versus $233 in Prilep. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Prilep – a meal for two runs $27.00 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 $728 in Prilep – a 144% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $728 in Prilep versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Prilep but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Prilep the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Prilep delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $728 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Prilep hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Prilep 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 Prilep gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.