Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Pula

For one person, living is cheaper in Pula: $1,577 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Pula
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Pula Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Pula

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Pula

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,577 in Pula.

Athens $1,775
Pula $1,577

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,504 in Pula.

Athens $2,721
Pula $2,504

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,432 in Pula.

Athens $3,666
Pula $3,432

Living in Athens is roughly 13% more expensive than in Pula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Pula 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.90

$14.57 €13.01

14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.5

$66.0 €58.9

2.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.95

$8.89 €7.94

25.31%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.60

$2.48 €2.22

62.50%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$2.98 €2.66

-7.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$2.11 €1.89

-73.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.12

$3.29 €2.94

74.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.86

$4.35 €3.88

25.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.18 €1.05

54.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.79 €1.60

-22.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

$3.20 €2.85

-12.50%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.32

$3.90 €3.48

23.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.44

$10.68 €9.54

40.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.49

$10.67 €9.53

-0.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.45

$18.47 €16.50

-0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.91 €1.71

15.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.88 €1.68

1.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.12 €1.89

-35.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.55 €2.28

-17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.97

$1.31 €1.17

-17.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.30 €1.16

-13.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.31 €1.17

-14.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.21 €1.08

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.90

$5.54 €4.95

-1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.04

$7.80 €6.96

29.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.89 €1.69

12.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.38 €2.13

-5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.18 €1.95

-37.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.69

$33.87 €30.24

-11.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.97

$3.38 €3.01

31.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.91

$2.18 €1.94

-53.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.11

$21.65 €19.33

-21.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.78 €1.59

26.40%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$26.0K €23.3K

7.62%

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

$28.2K €25.2K

$26.9K €24.0K

4.96%

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

$205 €183

$156 €139

31.52%

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

$26.65 €23.80

$22.06 €19.70

20.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.13

$40.22 €35.92

-24.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.66

$49.30 €44.03

10.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.11

$37.54 €33.53

-31.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.30

$10.91 €9.74

-4.49%

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

$569 €508

$237 €212

139.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$2,769 €2,473

354.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €79.2

$115 €102

-22.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €36.13

$35.58 €31.77

13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$144 €128

-27.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$133 €118

-8.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €662

$667 €596

11.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €585

$523 €467

25.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,161

$1,302 €1,163

-0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,025

$1,004 €896

14.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,584

$4,316 €3,854

-7.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,090

$3,539 €3,160

-2.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,109

$1,520 €1,357

-18.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.54

26.55%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Pula: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Pula

$523 33.2% 20.1% $131

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Pula

$297 18.8% 4.3% $13

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Pula

$219 13.9% 18.5% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Pula

$218 13.8% 16.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Pula

$192 12.2% 20.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Pula

$71 4.5% 5.6% $4.2

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Pula

$57 3.6% 26.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $667 in Pula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pula pays 22% 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 $66.0 in Pula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $297 per month, with Pula cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇭🇷 Pula

🕒 Local time

14:06 2:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

52,220

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Athens Pula 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
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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 Pula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pula wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pula the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Pula. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $667 in Pula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pula – a meal for two runs $66.0 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 $1,577 in Pula – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,577 in Pula versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pula but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Pula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pula delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,577 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pula hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Pula 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 Pula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.