For one person, living is cheaper in Safi: $585 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Safi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $585 in Safi.
Athens $1,775
Safi $585
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $917 in Safi.
Athens $2,721
Safi $917
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $1,250 in Safi.
Athens $3,666
Safi $1,250
🌍
Living in Athens is roughly 203% more expensive than in Safi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Safi is 57% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Safi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69€14.84
$3.04MAD 29.65
449.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8€60.3
$20.72MAD 202
227.17%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.14€9.91
$4.55MAD 44.41
144.84%
Cappuccino
$4.03€3.58
$1.54MAD 15.00
161.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77€2.46
$0.54MAD 5.23
412.96%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$0.34MAD 3.28
61.76%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.74€5.10
$1.52MAD 14.82
277.63%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45€4.85
$1.52MAD 14.80
258.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Safi
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.82€1.62
$0.82MAD 7.95
121.95%
White Bread(500g)
$1.38€1.23
$0.47MAD 4.55
193.62%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.80€2.49
$1.53MAD 14.96
83.01%
Eggs
$4.83€4.30
$1.73MAD 16.84
179.19%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.05€13.39
$6.87MAD 67.0
119.07%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.63€9.45
$6.85MAD 66.8
55.18%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.43€16.39
$8.98MAD 87.6
105.23%
Apples(1kg)
$2.20€1.96
$1.15MAD 11.20
91.30%
Banana(1kg)
$1.90€1.69
$1.16MAD 11.34
63.79%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.37€1.22
$0.82MAD 7.96
67.07%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.10€1.87
$0.67MAD 6.52
213.43%
Potato(1kg)
$1.08€0.96
$0.61MAD 5.91
77.05%
Onion(1kg)
$1.12€1.00
$0.80MAD 7.84
40.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.12€1.00
$0.40MAD 3.92
180.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88€0.79
$0.57MAD 5.51
54.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48€4.88
$3.72MAD 36.26
47.31%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.13€9.01
$7.35MAD 71.6
37.82%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13€1.89
$1.86MAD 18.09
14.52%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25€2.00
$1.78MAD 17.33
26.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Safi
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.36€1.21
$0.44MAD 4.30
209.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$29.89€26.59
$10.48MAD 102
185.21%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.45€3.96
$0.71MAD 6.93
526.76%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.02€0.90
$0.55MAD 5.32
85.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.92€15.05
$6.02MAD 58.7
181.06%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.25€2.00
$1.45MAD 14.17
55.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K€24.9K
$31.4KMAD 305.7K
-10.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K€25.1K
$30.6KMAD 298.3K
-7.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Safi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$205€182
$35.89MAD 350
470.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65€23.71
$10.31MAD 100
158.49%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38€27.02
$33.94MAD 331
-10.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Safi
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$54.5€48.47
$18.83MAD 184
189.38%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88€23.02
$5.27MAD 51.3
391.08%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42€9.27
$3.54MAD 34.55
194.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Safi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$569€506
$97.5MAD 950
483.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.6K€11.2K
$3,667MAD 35.8K
243.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Safi
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7€78.9
$39.69MAD 387
123.38%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46€35.99
$33.43MAD 326
21.03%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$105€93.3
$93.5MAD 911
12.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121€108
$36.63MAD 357
231.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Safi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$741€659
$279MAD 2,718
165.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$655€582
$135MAD 1,319
383.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,300€1,156
$466MAD 4,548
178.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,148€1,021
$246MAD 2,395
367.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,014€3,570
$892MAD 8,693
350.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,460€3,078
$560MAD 5,458
518.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Safi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,242€1,105
$443MAD 4,318
180.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.48
4.55
-1.54%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026
Last update for Safi: October 13, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655 36.9%
Safi
$135 23.1% ↓ 79.3%$519
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310 17.5%
Safi
$166 28.4% ↓ 46.4%$144
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$268 15.1%
Safi
$71 12.1% ↓ 73.7%$198
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262 14.7%
Safi
$80 13.7% ↓ 69.4%$181
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160 9%
Safi
$91 15.6% ↓ 42.8%$68
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75 4.2%
Safi
$26 4.4% ↓ 65.6%$49
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$45 2.5%
Safi
$16 2.7% ↓ 65.1%$29
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$1.1K 31.3%
Safi
$246 19.7% ↓ 78.6%$902
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$726 19.8%
Safi
$379 30.4% ↓ 47.8%$347
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$879 24%
Safi
$242 19.3% ↓ 72.5%$638
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$288 7.9%
Safi
$90 7.2% ↓ 68.6%$198
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$355 9.7%
Safi
$203 16.3% ↓ 42.8%$152
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$177 4.8%
Safi
$57 4.6% ↓ 67.7%$119
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$92 2.5%
Safi
$32 2.6% ↓ 65.1%$60
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $279 in Safi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Athens pays 181% 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: $68.0 in Athens vs $21.00 in Safi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $166 per month, with Safi cheaper across the board.
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 Safi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Safi?
Safi wins on cost – living expenses run 203% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Safi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Safi?
Average pay runs 181% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Safi?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $279 in Safi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Safi?
Dining out is cheaper in Safi – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Athens compared to Safi?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $585 in Safi – a 203% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Safi?
At $585 in Safi versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Safi but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Safi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Safi?
Both work as nomad bases, but Safi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $585 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Safi hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Safi?
Safety-wise, Athens and Safi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Safi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 203% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.