Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Saint-Etienne Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Saint-Etienne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,696 in Athens versus $1,502 in Saint-Etienne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,642 in Athens versus $2,293 in Saint-Etienne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,588 in Athens versus $3,084 in Saint-Etienne.

Living in Athens is roughly 13% more expensive than Saint-Etienne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 27% above, Saint-Etienne 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 €15.05

$16.63 €14.30

5.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €54.7

$45.66 €39.28

39.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.14

$13.36 €11.49

-20.51%

Cappuccino

$4.34 €3.73

$2.05 €1.77

111.71%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$2.72 €2.34

-8.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$1.18 €1.01

-43.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 €5.07

$3.94 €3.39

49.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.01

$4.52 €3.89

28.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.25 €1.08

52.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.18 €1.01

19.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.49

$2.62 €2.26

10.69%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.37

$3.56 €3.07

42.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 €12.61

$18.35 €15.79

-20.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €9.73

$15.48 €13.32

-26.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 €12.97

$20.63 €17.75

-26.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.23 €2.77

-28.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.24 €1.93

-3.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.51 €2.16

-39.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €1.97

$3.45 €2.97

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.37 €2.04

-43.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$2.72 €2.34

-56.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.56 €1.34

-19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$0.36 €0.31

188.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.81

$12.88 €11.08

-56.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 €10.11

$8.00 €6.88

47.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$3.11 €2.67

-34.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.49

$3.81 €3.28

-23.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.57 €1.35

-10.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €29.67

$48.08 €41.36

-28.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.97

$5.17 €4.45

-10.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.76 €1.52

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.33 €14.91

$32.95 €28.35

-47.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.99 €1.71

7.54%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$37.8K €32.6K

-24.84%

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

$30.4K €26.1K

$37.4K €32.2K

-18.80%

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

$219 €188

$122 €105

80.05%

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

$26.82 €23.07

$27.75 €23.87

-3.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.71 €29.86

$34.01 €29.25

2.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 €49.09

$31.67 €27.24

80.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.85

$6.92 €5.95

283.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €8.89

$10.55 €9.07

-2.09%

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

$552 €475

$782 €672

-29.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,686

$8,188 €7,044

37.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €79.7

$80.9 €69.6

14.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.61 €40.95

$44.05 €37.89

8.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.1

$85.2 €73.3

17.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$114 €98.2

6.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 €568

$575 €495

14.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 €501

$451 €388

29.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 €1,016

$902 €776

30.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €885

$691 €595

48.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 €3,539

$1,765 €1,519

133.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,388 €2,914

$1,707 €1,469

98.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,342 €1,154

$2,319 €1,995

-42.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

3.64

37.09%

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

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Last update for Saint-Etienne: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Athens and $575 in Saint-Etienne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint-Etienne pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Athens vs $46.00 in Saint-Etienne. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $363, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

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 Saint-Etienne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint-Etienne wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saint-Etienne the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Saint-Etienne earns 73% less. 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: $660 in Athens versus $575 in Saint-Etienne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint-Etienne – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,696 per month in Athens versus $1,502 in Saint-Etienne – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,502 in Saint-Etienne versus $1,696 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saint-Etienne but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Saint-Etienne the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Saint-Etienne delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,502 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Saint-Etienne hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Saint-Etienne 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 Saint-Etienne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.