Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Qapshaghay

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,086 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
Learn more

Qapshaghay Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Qapshaghay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $1,086 in Qapshaghay.

Athens $1,779
Qapshaghay $1,086

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,629 in Qapshaghay.

Athens $2,721
Qapshaghay $1,629

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $2,173 in Qapshaghay.

Athens $3,663
Qapshaghay $2,173

Living in Athens is roughly 64% more expensive than in Qapshaghay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Qapshaghay is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$11.06 ₸4,986

52.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$21.89 ₸9,870

201.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.98

$6.67 ₸3,006

68.07%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$1.81 ₸815

125.41%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$1.03 ₸463

168.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.65 ₸294

-16.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$1.36 ₸611

319.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$1.31 ₸591

377.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.67 ₸753

10.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.48 ₸217

197.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.99 ₸899

34.17%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$2.44 ₸1,102

102.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.44

$12.65 ₸5,703

19.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$6.78 ₸3,058

62.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.60

$10.93 ₸4,929

80.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.78 ₸802

19.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.30 ₸1,036

-13.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$3.00 ₸1,350

-55.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.80 ₸1,261

-22.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.78 ₸352

35.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.58 ₸263

98.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.66 ₸750

-34.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.99 ₸448

-14.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$1.66 ₸750

228.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

$10.92 ₸4,921

-8.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.23 ₸554

65.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.36 ₸1,066

0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.18 ₸81.9

650.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

$16.96 ₸7,645

79.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$0.85 ₸382

348.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.66 ₸297

56.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

$3.95 ₸1,779

317.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.57 ₸258

310.53%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$28.6K ₸12.9M

-2.82%

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$31.5K ₸14.2M

-15.54%

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

$202 €180

$89.1 ₸40.2K

127.03%

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

$26.81 €23.87

$10.97 ₸4,947

144.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.14

$17.61 ₸7,937

73.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.14

$42.73 ₸19.3K

26.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$6.83 ₸3,081

52.86%

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

$568 €505

$147 ₸66.2K

286.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$4,423 ₸2.0M

243.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.7

$91.2 ₸41.1K

-0.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.01

$49.06 ₸22.1K

-19.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$139 ₸62.5K

-24.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$133 ₸59.8K

-2.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$439 ₸197.7K

69.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €577

$311 ₸140.2K

108.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$732 ₸330.1K

73.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$495 ₸223.1K

126.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,561

$1,061 ₸478.5K

276.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,921

$870 ₸392.2K

277.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

20.65

-78.50%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Qapshaghay

$311 28.6% 52% $337

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Qapshaghay

$247 22.8% 21.8% $69

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Qapshaghay

$146 13.5% 46.1% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Qapshaghay

$118 10.8% 54.7% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Qapshaghay

$185 17.1% 13.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Qapshaghay

$56 5.2% 24.7% $19

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Qapshaghay

$22 2% 51.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $439 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $22 in Qapshaghay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $247 per month, with Qapshaghay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

11:38 11:38 AM

3 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

42,167

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Athens Qapshaghay 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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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 Qapshaghay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qapshaghay wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Qapshaghay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,669 in Athens and $1,629 in Qapshaghay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $742 in Athens versus $439 in Qapshaghay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Qapshaghay – a meal for two runs $22 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $1,086 in Qapshaghay – Qapshaghay is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Qapshaghay is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Qapshaghay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.