Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and San Gwann

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,049 in San Gwann, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in San Gwann
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San Gwann Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

San Gwann

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in San Gwann

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $2,049 in San Gwann.

Athens $1,775
San Gwann $2,049

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $3,115 in San Gwann.

Athens $2,721
San Gwann $3,115

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $4,180 in San Gwann.

Athens $3,666
San Gwann $4,180

Living in Athens costs roughly 13% less than in San Gwann, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, San Gwann 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$21.52 €19.14

-22.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$67.9 €60.4

-0.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$13.47 €11.99

-17.30%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$2.89 €2.57

39.45%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$2.14 €1.90

29.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.07 €0.95

-48.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$4.51 €4.01

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$4.37 €3.88

24.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.35 €1.20

34.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.41 €1.25

-2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$3.47 €3.08

-19.31%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$4.30 €3.83

12.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$10.35 €9.20

45.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$11.78 €10.48

-9.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$17.77 €15.80

3.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.84 €3.41

-42.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.76 €2.46

-31.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$3.86 €3.43

-64.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.81 €3.39

-44.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.87 €1.67

-42.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.29 €2.03

-51.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.18 €1.94

-48.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.55 €1.37

-43.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$6.12 €5.44

-10.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$5.51 €4.90

83.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.42 €2.15

-11.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.33 €2.07

-3.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.26 €2.01

-39.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$14.55 €12.94

105.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$3.87 €3.44

14.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.82 €1.62

-43.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$32.51 €28.92

-47.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.52 €1.35

48.03%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$27.9K €24.8K

0.64%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$34.1K €30.3K

-17.11%

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

$205 €182

$113 €100

81.42%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$31.71 €28.20

-15.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$34.81 €30.96

-12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$56.6 €50.3

-3.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$18.93 €16.84

36.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$10.09 €8.98

3.27%

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

$569 €506

$272 €242

109.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$11.2K €9,933

12.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$54.9 €48.85

61.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$60.5 €53.8

-33.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$82.4 €73.3

27.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$128 €114

-5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$1,197 €1,065

-38.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$981 €873

-33.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$2,281 €2,029

-43.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$1,663 €1,479

-30.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$5,627 €5,005

-28.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$2,776 €2,469

24.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$1,741 €1,548

-28.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.05

10.62%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Gwann: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

San Gwann

$981 47.9% 49.9% $327

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

San Gwann

$337 16.5% 8.7% $27

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

San Gwann

$291 14.2% 8.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

San Gwann

$179 8.8% 31.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

San Gwann

$147 7.2% 8.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

San Gwann

$77 3.8% 1.9% $1.4

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

San Gwann

$37 1.8% 18.5% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $1,197 in San Gwann. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Gwann pays 40% 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 $68.0 in San Gwann for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $337 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇲🇹 San Gwann

🕒 Local time

18:44 6:44 PM

17:44 5:44 PM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

12,523

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Athens San Gwann 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
San Gwann

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 San Gwann: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in San Gwann. 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 40% lower in San Gwann. 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: $741 in Athens versus $1,197 in San Gwann. 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 $68.0 versus $68.0 in San Gwann. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $2,049 in San Gwann – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,049 in San Gwann, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in San Gwann. 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 $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and San Gwann 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 15% less than in San Gwann. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.