Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Salamina

For one person, living is cheaper in Salamina: $1,442 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Salamina
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Salamina Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Salamina

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Salamina

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $1,442 in Salamina.

Athens $1,759
Salamina $1,442

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $2,211 in Salamina.

Athens $2,696
Salamina $2,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $2,980 in Salamina.

Athens $3,632
Salamina $2,980

Living in Athens is roughly 22% more expensive than in Salamina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 29% above, Salamina 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.32

$16.43 €14.77

3.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €59.2

$57.5 €51.7

14.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 €9.84

$9.20 €8.27

19.13%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.69

$4.19 €3.76

-2.15%

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

$2.83 €2.54

$2.75 €2.47

2.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.53

$0.54 €0.48

9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.05

$4.56 €4.10

23.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.09

$4.95 €4.45

14.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.82 €1.64

4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.41 €1.26

3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.59 €2.33

4.63%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.53

$4.90 €4.40

2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €13.55

$14.75 €13.25

2.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.23

$10.35 €9.30

-0.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.43

$15.68 €14.09

23.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.91

$2.22 €1.99

-4.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.72

$1.94 €1.74

-1.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.57 €1.41

-10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.12 €1.91

0.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.94

$1.11 €1.00

-6.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.19 €1.07

-5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.93 €0.83

21.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.82 €0.73

-1.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 €4.96

$5.24 €4.71

5.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.98

$7.44 €6.68

34.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$1.75 €1.57

16.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$2.39 €2.15

-4.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.39 €1.25

-5.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 €27.56

$49.41 €44.39

-37.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.93

$4.44 €3.99

-1.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.99 €0.89

4.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.05 €15.32

$16.48 €14.81

3.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.11

$2.19 €1.97

6.85%

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

$28.3K €25.4K

$27.7K €24.8K

2.16%

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

$26.8K €24.0K

$27.0K €24.3K

-0.90%

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

$200 €180

$173 €155

15.86%

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

$25.17 €22.62

$25.55 €22.95

-1.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 €26.64

$29.60 €26.60

0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €45.32

$50.7 €45.53

-0.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.94 €23.30

$25.64 €23.03

1.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.46

$9.48 €8.51

10.97%

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

$576 €518

$472 €424

22.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.6K

$4,757 €4,274

171.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €80.6

$88.1 €79.1

1.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 €35.55

$39.46 €35.45

0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.7

$81.5 €73.2

29.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$106 €95.3

16.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €665

$484 €435

52.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €578

$391 €351

64.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,172

$734 €659

77.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €1,007

$619 €557

80.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,011 €3,604

$2,484 €2,232

61.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,284 €2,951

$1,924 €1,729

70.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 €1,099

$1,042 €936

17.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Salamina: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$643 36.5%

Salamina

$391 27.1% 39.2% $252

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.7%

Salamina

$292 20.3% 6.3% $20

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.4%

Salamina

$255 17.7% 6.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$255 14.5%

Salamina

$228 15.8% 10.6% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.2%

Salamina

$142 9.8% 12.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$71 4.1%

Salamina

$70 4.8% 2.6% $1.9

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.6%

Salamina

$64 4.5% 41.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Athens and $484 in Salamina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 17% 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 in Athens vs $57 in Salamina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $292 per month, with Salamina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇬🇷 Salamina

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

Same time as Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

38,022

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Salamina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salamina wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Salamina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $740 in Athens versus $484 in Salamina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Salamina – a meal for two runs $57 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,759 per month in Athens versus $1,442 in Salamina – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Salamina is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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