Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Sanandaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanandaj: $403 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Sanandaj
Learn more

Sanandaj Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Sanandaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Sanandaj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $403 in Sanandaj.

Athens $1,779
Sanandaj $403

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $666 in Sanandaj.

Athens $2,721
Sanandaj $666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $929 in Sanandaj.

Athens $3,663
Sanandaj $929

Living in Athens is roughly 342% more expensive than in Sanandaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Sanandaj is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$3.20 $3.20

425.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$16.15 $16.15

308.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.98

$4.01 $4.01

179.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$1.02 $1.02

300.00%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$0.63 $0.63

339.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$1.02 $1.02

-47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$0.75 $0.75

145.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.68 $0.68

110.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.97 $1.97

35.53%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$0.99 $0.99

400.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.44

$4.49 $4.49

236.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$2.82 $2.82

289.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.60

$10.10 $10.10

95.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.09 $1.09

94.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.47 $1.47

34.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$0.89 $0.89

49.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$0.72 $0.72

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.73 $0.73

45.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.77 $0.77

49.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.62 $0.62

74.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.33 $0.33

157.58%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 $1.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$2.55 $2.55

114.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.13 $0.13

938.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

$9.70 $9.70

214.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$0.39 $0.39

876.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.29 $0.29

255.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

$2.58 $2.58

539.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.09 $0.09

2500.00%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$50.0K $50.0K

-44.51%

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$46.4K $46.4K

-42.71%

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

$202 €180

$10.14 $10.14

1894.28%

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

$26.81 €23.87

$2.94 $2.94

811.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.14

$3.95 $3.95

671.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.14

$5.97 $5.97

805.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

$13.64 $13.64

100.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$1.02 $1.02

923.53%

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

$568 €505

$107 $107

430.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$2,390 $2,390

535.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.7

$15.96 $15.96

467.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.01

$28.18 $28.18

39.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$63.5 $63.5

65.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$72.7 $72.7

77.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$156 $156

376.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €577

$113 $113

475.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$333 $333

281.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$199 $199

464.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,561

$800 $800

400.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,921

$287 $287

1043.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

$252 $252

393.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

-79.82%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Sanandaj: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Sanandaj

$113 28% 82.6% $536

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Sanandaj

$116 28.7% 63.5% $201

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Sanandaj

$56 14% 79.2% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Sanandaj

$17 4.2% 93.4% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Sanandaj

$81 20.1% 50.5% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Sanandaj

$8 2% 89.3% $67

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Sanandaj

$12 3% 73.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $156 in Sanandaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 4.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $16 in Sanandaj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $116 per month, with Sanandaj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇮🇷 Sanandaj

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

08:53 8:53 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

412,767

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athens Sanandaj 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Sanandaj

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 Sanandaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sanandaj wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Sanandaj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Athens is about 4.9 times higher, 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: $742 in Athens versus $156 in Sanandaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sanandaj – a meal for two runs $16 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $403 in Sanandaj – Sanandaj is about 77% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $403 in Sanandaj versus $1,779 in Athens, a $800 budget is realistic in Sanandaj but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Sanandaj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Sanandaj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.