Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Saar

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,779 a month against $1,975 in Saar, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Saar

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,975

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Saar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $1,975 in Saar.

Athens $1,779
Saar $1,975

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,754 in Saar.

Athens $2,721
Saar $2,754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $3,533 in Saar.

Athens $3,663
Saar $3,533

Living in Athens costs roughly 10% less than in Saar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 32% above, Saar 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$10.57 BHD 3.99

59.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$33.55 BHD 12.66

96.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.99

$10.52 BHD 3.97

6.56%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$5.68 BHD 2.14

-28.17%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$1.73 BHD 0.65

60.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$1.01 BHD 0.38

-46.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.08

$5.94 BHD 2.24

-4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$9.05 BHD 3.41

-30.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.71 BHD 0.64

7.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.32 BHD 0.50

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$2.69 BHD 1.02

-0.74%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$2.62 BHD 0.99

88.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.45

$13.48 BHD 5.09

11.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$6.62 BHD 2.50

66.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.61

$16.08 BHD 6.07

22.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$4.04 BHD 1.52

-47.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.36 BHD 0.89

-16.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$3.75 BHD 1.42

-64.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.02 BHD 0.76

6.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.69 BHD 0.26

53.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.69 BHD 0.64

-31.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.79 BHD 0.30

7.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

$26.71 BHD 10.08

-62.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.79 BHD 0.30

70.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$5.29 BHD 2.00

-27.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.60 BHD 0.23

290.00%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

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

$26.6K €23.7K

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

$202 €180

$133 BHD 50.0

52.54%

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

$26.81 €23.88

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.16

$31.44 BHD 11.86

-3.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.17

$159 BHD 60.0

-66.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.41

$105 BHD 39.60

-73.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$15.93 BHD 6.01

-34.46%

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

$568 €506

$545 BHD 205

4.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$7,793 BHD 2,940

94.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.8

$94.2 BHD 35.53

-3.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.03

$40.02 BHD 15.10

-1.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$104 BHD 39.28

1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$105 BHD 39.64

22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$1,310 BHD 494

-43.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €578

$914 BHD 345

-29.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$2,125 BHD 802

-40.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$1,183 BHD 446

-5.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,562

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,923

$2,078 BHD 784

57.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

$2,401 BHD 906

-48.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Saar: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Saar

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Saar

–

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Saar

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Saar

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Saar

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Saar

–

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Saar

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $1,310 in Saar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saar pays 93% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $34 in Saar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $301 per month, with Saar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇧🇭 Saar

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

21:43 9:43 PM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

6,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athens Saar 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Saar

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 Saar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Saar. 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 48% lower in Athens. 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: $742 in Athens versus $1,310 in Saar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $568 in Athens versus $545 in Saar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saar – a meal for two runs $34 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Safety-wise, Athens and Saar are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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