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: $1,834 in Athens versus $1,385 in Rethymno.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Athens versus $2,096 in Rethymno.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Athens versus $2,807 in Rethymno.

Living in Athens is roughly 32% more expensive than in Rethymno, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 33% above, Rethymno 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 €15.26

$15.03 €12.96

17.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.8

$58.2 €50.2

21.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.05

$10.63 €9.16

9.60%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.74

$3.69 €3.18

17.34%

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

$2.97 €2.56

$1.71 €1.47

73.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.50

$0.55 €0.48

5.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$4.78 €4.12

22.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.94

$5.36 €4.62

6.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.86 €1.61

5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.49 €1.28

4.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$2.25 €1.94

29.33%

Eggs

$4.63 €3.99

$4.59 €3.96

0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.58

$15.24 €13.14

3.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 €9.49

$10.12 €8.73

8.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.46

$15.55 €13.41

22.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.08 €1.80

7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.18 €1.88

-3.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.26 €1.09

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.83 €1.58

20.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.03 €0.89

12.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$0.98 €0.84

20.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €1.00

$0.68 €0.58

70.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$0.73 €0.63

31.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.91

$4.54 €3.91

25.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 €9.07

$6.28 €5.41

67.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.84 €1.59

21.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.90 €1.64

45.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.81 €1.56

-23.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 €27.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.62 €3.98

1.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.17 €1.01

-9.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €14.95

$11.55 €9.96

50.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.27 €1.96

2.64%

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

$28.6K €24.7K

$23.0K €19.8K

24.28%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$25.7K €22.1K

15.13%

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

$229 €197

$163 €141

40.37%

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

$28.03 €24.16

$18.81 €16.21

49.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.16 €27.72

$32.18 €27.74

-0.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.67

$64.9 €56.0

-13.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 €24.38

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.46

$8.46 €7.29

29.67%

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

$597 €515

$382 €329

56.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.7K

$4,244 €3,658

220.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €80.6

$86.9 €74.9

7.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €35.91

$11.58 €9.98

259.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.3

$45.86 €39.53

131.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$46.41 €40.00

188.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €637

$575 €496

28.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €570

$454 €392

45.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,155

$916 €789

46.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,011

$725 €625

61.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,006 €3,453

$4,304 €3,710

-6.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,438 €2,964

$3,106 €2,678

10.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,293 €1,115

$1,245 €1,073

3.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.3

1.63%

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

Last update for Athens: September 5, 2026

Last update for Rethymno: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Athens and $575 in Rethymno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 4% 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: $71.0 in Athens vs $58.0 in Rethymno for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $284 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 32% 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.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $739 in Athens versus $575 in Rethymno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $597 in Athens versus $382 in Rethymno. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rethymno – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $71.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,385 in Rethymno versus $1,834 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 $1,385 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 32% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.