Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Rome

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $1,982 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Rome

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $1,982 in Rome.

Athens $1,806
Rome $1,982

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $3,148 in Rome.

Athens $2,731
Rome $3,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $4,314 in Rome.

Athens $3,656
Rome $4,314

Living in Athens costs roughly 9% less than in Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 35% above, Rome 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.85

$16.88 €15.05

-1.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.0

$67.5 €60.2

-1.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.86

$11.04 €9.84

0.18%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$2.05 €1.83

101.95%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$3.05 €2.72

-8.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.52 €1.36

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$5.73 €5.11

-1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.86

$6.86 €6.12

-20.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.71 €1.52

14.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.25

$2.25 €2.00

-37.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$3.10 €2.77

-8.71%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.49

$4.81 €4.29

4.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.68

$15.09 €13.45

1.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.22

$12.53 €11.18

-17.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.92

$19.82 €17.67

-4.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.66 €2.37

-18.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.32 €2.07

-17.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.45 €2.19

-43.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.32 €2.07

-5.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.43 €1.28

-23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$1.53 €1.37

-26.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.35 €1.20

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.52 €0.47

59.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$7.40 €6.60

-24.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.08

$5.45 €4.86

86.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.64 €1.46

32.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.63 €2.34

-6.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.73 €1.54

-20.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.52

$39.99 €35.66

-22.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$6.91 €6.16

-36.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.63 €1.45

-36.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.26

$34.18 €30.48

-49.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.06

$2.14 €1.91

7.94%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$35.1K €31.3K

-20.35%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$34.4K €30.7K

-18.58%

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

$210 €187

$209 €186

0.57%

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

$26.70 €23.80

$11.57 €10.31

130.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.86

$31.88 €28.42

-5.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.68

$65.7 €58.6

-16.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.21

$23.73 €21.15

9.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.61

$11.20 €9.98

-3.75%

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

$575 €513

$483 €431

19.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

$17.0K €15.1K

-22.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$70.7 €63.0

31.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.27

$35.68 €31.81

14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.8

$82.2 €73.3

26.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$123 €110

4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$1,205 €1,074

-37.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$892 €795

-26.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,153

$2,527 €2,253

-48.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,037

$1,687 €1,504

-31.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,574

$8,407 €7,495

-52.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,078

$3,096 €2,760

11.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,109

$1,980 €1,766

-37.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.52

27.27%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Rome: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Rome

$892 44.2% 36.7% $240

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Rome

$331 16.4% 5% $16

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Rome

$253 12.6% 5.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Rome

$252 12.5% 5.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Rome

$140 7% 14.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Rome

$88 4.4% 15.7% $12

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Rome

$62 3.1% 34.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $1,205 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 59% 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: $66.0 in Athens vs $68.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $331 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇮🇹 Rome

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

08:17 8:17 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

2,848,084 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Athens Rome 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Rome

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 Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Rome. 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: $756 in Athens versus $1,205 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $68.0 in Rome. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $1,982 in Rome – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,806 in Athens versus $1,982 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Rome 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.