Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and San Marco Argentano

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marco Argentano: $1,398 a month against $1,771 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in San Marco Argentano
Learn more

San Marco Argentano Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,771

/mo nomad

San Marco Argentano

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in San Marco Argentano

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $1,398 in San Marco Argentano.

Athens $1,771
San Marco Argentano $1,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $2,129 in San Marco Argentano.

Athens $2,736
San Marco Argentano $2,129

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $2,860 in San Marco Argentano.

Athens $3,701
San Marco Argentano $2,860

Living in Athens is roughly 27% more expensive than in San Marco Argentano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, San Marco Argentano 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.97

$16.97 €15.10

-0.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.7

$55.1 €48.98

23.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 €10.17

$10.95 €9.74

4.38%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.61

$1.38 €1.23

194.20%

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

$2.74 €2.44

$1.09 €0.97

151.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.47

$0.57 €0.51

-7.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.06

$2.17 €1.93

162.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.06

$3.27 €2.91

73.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.28 €1.13

44.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.15 €1.02

25.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.17 €1.93

29.95%

Eggs

$4.86 €4.32

$3.43 €3.05

41.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 €13.58

$5.47 €4.86

179.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 €9.21

$5.68 €5.05

82.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.99

$11.26 €10.01

69.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.05 €1.82

8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.69 €1.51

13.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.50 €1.34

-6.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.20 €1.95

-7.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.10 €0.98

-4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.22 €1.09

-4.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.27 €1.13

-14.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.75

$0.44 €0.39

90.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 €4.89

$5.74 €5.11

-4.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 €9.05

$7.85 €6.98

29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.10 €0.98

93.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.61 €1.43

41.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.64 €1.45

-16.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.71 €26.43

$41.47 €36.89

-28.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 €3.90

$5.52 €4.91

-20.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.89

$1.68 €1.50

-40.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 €14.79

$55.0 €48.95

-69.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.11

$1.88 €1.67

26.60%

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

$28.4K €25.3K

$21.3K €19.0K

33.16%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$24.7K €22.0K

10.17%

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

$203 €181

$113 €100

80.50%

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

$26.79 €23.83

$10.38 €9.23

158.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 €26.82

$27.79 €24.72

8.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 €47.74

$56.6 €50.4

-5.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.40 €23.48

$23.77 €21.14

11.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 €9.42

$9.94 €8.84

6.54%

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

$566 €504

$167 €148

239.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.4K

$11.1K €9,829

16.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.3

$78.5 €69.8

13.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 €36.01

$33.64 €29.92

20.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.3

$86.2 €76.7

20.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$101 €89.8

23.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 €648

$722 €642

0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 €576

$562 €500

15.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,181

$1,151 €1,024

15.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$910 €809

28.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,024 €3,579

$2,917 €2,594

37.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,483 €3,098

$2,024 €1,801

72.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,240 €1,103

$1,694 €1,507

-26.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

124.00%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for San Marco Argentano: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$647 36.5%

San Marco Argentano

$562 40.2% 13.2% $85

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.6%

San Marco Argentano

$203 14.5% 35% $109

Eating Out

Athens

$271 15.3%

San Marco Argentano

$209 15% 22.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.7%

San Marco Argentano

$151 10.8% 42.1% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.1%

San Marco Argentano

$135 9.6% 16.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

San Marco Argentano

$76 5.5% 2.2% $1.6

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

San Marco Argentano

$62 4.4% 39% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $722 in San Marco Argentano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Marco Argentano pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $55.0 in San Marco Argentano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $203 per month, with San Marco Argentano cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇮🇹 San Marco Argentano

🕒 Local time

19:11 7:11 PM

18:11 6:11 PM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

7,200

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athens San Marco Argentano 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
San Marco Argentano

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 Marco Argentano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Marco Argentano wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Marco Argentano the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in San Marco Argentano. 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: $729 in Athens versus $722 in San Marco Argentano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Marco Argentano – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $1,398 in San Marco Argentano – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,398 in San Marco Argentano versus $1,771 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Marco Argentano but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes San Marco Argentano the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Marco Argentano delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,398 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Marco Argentano hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and San Marco Argentano 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 San Marco Argentano gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.