Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and San Marino

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marino: $1,146 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. The total is higher in Athens despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

San Marino

🇸🇲 San Marino

$1,146

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $1,146 in San Marino.

Athens $1,806
San Marino $1,146

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $1,613 in San Marino.

Athens $2,731
San Marino $1,613

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $2,080 in San Marino.

Athens $3,656
San Marino $2,080

Living in Athens is roughly 58% more expensive than in San Marino, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 35% above, San Marino is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.85

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.0

$89.2 €79.6

-25.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.86

$9.02 €8.04

22.62%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$1.64 €1.46

152.44%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$2.25 €2.01

24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.31 €1.17

-56.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$5.75 €5.13

-1.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.86

$6.77 €6.04

-19.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.74

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.25

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

Eggs

$5.04 €4.49

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.68

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.22

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.92

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.64 €1.46

-15.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.52

$28.57 €25.47

8.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$10.94 €9.76

-60.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.45 €1.29

-28.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.26

$25.08 €22.36

-31.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.77 €1.58

30.51%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

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

$28.0K €25.0K

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

$210 €187

$112 €100

86.79%

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

$26.70 €23.80

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.86

$33.36 €29.74

-9.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.68

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.21

$27.71 €24.71

-6.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.61

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

$575 €513

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$77.2 €68.8

20.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.27

$33.34 €29.73

22.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$56.9 €50.7

125.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$789 €703

-4.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$795 €709

-17.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,153

$1,025 €914

26.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,037

$1,028 €917

13.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,574

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,078

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,109

$3,794 €3,382

-67.23%

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 5, 2026

Last update for San Marino: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

San Marino

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

San Marino

–

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

San Marino

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

San Marino

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

San Marino

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

San Marino

–

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

San Marino

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $789 in San Marino. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Marino pays 205% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $66.0 in Athens vs $89.0 in San Marino for two.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇸🇲 San Marino

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

10:03 10:03 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

4,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athens San Marino 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
San Marino

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Athens vs San Marino: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Marino wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Marino the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 205% lower in San Marino. 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: $756 in Athens versus $789 in San Marino. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $1,146 in San Marino – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Marino runs roughly 8% less than in Athens. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,146 in San Marino versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Marino but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes San Marino the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Marino delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,146 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Marino hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and San Marino 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 Marino gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.