Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Rethymno Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Rethymno

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,696 in Athens versus $1,449 in Rethymno.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,642 in Athens versus $2,232 in Rethymno.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,588 in Athens versus $3,015 in Rethymno.

Living in Athens is roughly 17% more expensive than Rethymno, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 27% above, Rethymno 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 €15.05

$13.81 €11.88

26.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €54.7

$46.46 €39.96

36.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.14

$11.43 €9.83

-7.09%

Cappuccino

$4.34 €3.73

$3.39 €2.91

28.02%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.76 €1.51

41.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$0.47 €0.40

42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 €5.07

$5.96 €5.13

-1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.01

$5.90 €5.08

-1.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.89 €1.63

1.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.44 €1.24

-2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.49

$2.66 €2.29

9.02%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.37

$4.25 €3.66

19.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 €12.61

$16.85 €14.49

-13.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €9.73

$11.63 €10.01

-2.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 €12.97

$14.64 €12.59

3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.25 €1.94

2.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.19 €1.88

-0.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.49 €1.28

1.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €1.97

$1.87 €1.61

22.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.77 €0.66

75.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.55 €1.33

-23.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.93 €0.80

35.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$0.37 €0.31

181.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.81

$5.16 €4.44

8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 €10.11

$6.87 €5.91

71.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.88 €1.62

8.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.49

$3.42 €2.94

-15.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.59 €1.37

-11.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €29.67

$45.98 €39.55

-24.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.97

$4.73 €4.07

-2.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.33 €14.91

$11.46 €9.86

51.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.10 €1.81

1.90%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$34.2K €29.4K

-16.75%

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

$30.4K €26.1K

$26.0K €22.4K

16.78%

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

$219 €188

$158 €136

38.73%

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

$26.82 €23.07

$19.69 €16.93

36.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.71 €29.86

$33.21 €28.56

4.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 €49.09

$47.65 €40.99

19.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.85

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €8.89

$7.99 €6.87

29.29%

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

$552 €475

$384 €331

43.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,686

$4,208 €3,619

167.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €79.7

$99.5 €85.6

-6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.61 €40.95

$45.67 €39.29

4.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.1

$87.5 €75.3

14.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$136 €117

-11.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 €568

$583 €501

13.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 €501

$441 €379

31.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 €1,016

$968 €833

22.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €885

$765 €658

34.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 €3,539

$4,050 €3,483

1.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,388 €2,914

$2,923 €2,514

15.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,342 €1,154

$1,165 €1,002

15.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.3

16.05%

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

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Last update for Rethymno: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Athens and $583 in Rethymno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 15% 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: $64.0 in Athens vs $46.00 in Rethymno for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $297 per month, with Rethymno 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 Rethymno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rethymno wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rethymno the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athens pays 15% more on average, 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: $660 in Athens versus $583 in Rethymno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rethymno – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,696 per month in Athens versus $1,449 in Rethymno – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,449 in Rethymno versus $1,696 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rethymno but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Rethymno the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rethymno delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,449 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rethymno hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Rethymno 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 Rethymno gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.