Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Rhodes Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Rhodes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,705 in Athens versus $1,699 in Rhodes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,630 in Athens versus $2,652 in Rhodes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,556 in Athens versus $3,605 in Rhodes.

Monthly costs are close between Athens and Rhodes; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 28% above, Rhodes 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.92

$17.65 €15.44

-3.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €55.6

$67.1 €58.7

-5.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 €8.99

$9.54 €8.35

7.76%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.82

$4.27 €3.74

2.34%

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

$2.39 €2.09

$2.55 €2.23

-6.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.59

$0.68 €0.59

-1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €4.97

$5.95 €5.20

-4.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.95

$4.52 €3.95

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.18 €1.90

-11.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.20

$2.09 €1.83

-34.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.46

$5.07 €4.44

-44.58%

Eggs

$5.12 €4.48

$5.90 €5.16

-13.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 €12.96

$17.43 €15.25

-15.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 €9.87

$16.45 €14.39

-31.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 €13.28

$16.64 €14.56

-8.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$2.28 €1.99

-3.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.06 €1.80

0.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.50 €1.31

5.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.07

$2.40 €2.10

-1.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.84 €1.61

-23.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.03

$2.05 €1.80

-42.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.38 €1.21

-10.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.89

$0.73 €0.64

39.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.89

$5.30 €4.63

5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 €8.79

$8.02 €7.01

25.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.62 €2.29

-22.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.50

$2.80 €2.45

2.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.19

$2.30 €2.01

-40.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.50 €30.18

$93.9 €82.1

-63.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 €4.03

$4.73 €4.14

-2.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.13 €14.98

$11.79 €10.31

45.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.78

$2.19 €1.92

-6.85%

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

$29.1K €25.5K

$34.9K €30.5K

-16.42%

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

$29.6K €25.9K

$26.4K €23.1K

11.98%

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

$217 €190

$177 €155

22.83%

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

$27.37 €23.94

$21.02 €18.39

30.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.44 €30.13

$29.24 €25.58

17.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €49.53

$59.9 €52.4

-5.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.46 €23.15

$11.44 €10.01

131.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 €9.13

$9.01 €7.88

15.76%

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

$561 €491

$411 €359

36.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,691

$5,872 €5,137

88.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 €80.6

$176 €154

-47.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.84 €40.98

$42.84 €37.48

9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €87.7

$111 €97.0

-9.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €105

$170 €149

-29.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 €569

$575 €503

13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 €500

$413 €361

38.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 €1,039

$990 €866

20.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 €887

$685 €600

47.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,057 €3,549

$3,753 €3,284

8.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,221 €2,818

$1,774 €1,552

81.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,327 €1,161

$1,356 €1,187

-2.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.7

6.17%

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

Last update for Athens: July 11, 2026

Last update for Rhodes: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Athens and $575 in Rhodes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rhodes pays 2% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64.0 in Athens vs $67.0 in Rhodes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $371 per month, with Athens 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 Rhodes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Rhodes. 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: $650 in Athens versus $575 in Rhodes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Athens versus $411 in Rhodes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rhodes – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,699 in Rhodes versus $1,705 in Athens, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rhodes but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Rhodes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rhodes delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,699 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rhodes hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Rhodes are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Rhodes wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.