Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Sao Joao da Madeira

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Madeira: $1,510 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. The total is higher in Athens despite lower rent and utilities.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Madeira
Learn more

Sao Joao da Madeira Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Sao Joao da Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Sao Joao da Madeira

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 Sao Joao da Madeira actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Athens $1,775
Sao Joao da Madeira $1,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,107 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Athens $2,721
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $2,704 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Athens $3,666
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,704

Living in Athens is roughly 18% more expensive than in Sao Joao da Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Sao Joao da Madeira 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$10.06 €8.95

65.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$19.79 €17.60

242.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$7.85 €6.98

41.91%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$1.14 €1.01

253.51%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$1.09 €0.97

154.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.97 €0.87

-43.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$3.32 €2.95

72.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$2.17 €1.93

151.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$0.85 €0.75

114.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.32 €0.28

331.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$1.14 €1.01

145.61%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$2.68 €2.39

80.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$8.58 €7.63

75.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$5.52 €4.91

92.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$6.51 €5.79

183.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.03 €1.81

8.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.35 €1.20

40.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.83 €1.63

-25.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.85 €2.54

-26.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.97 €1.75

-45.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.88 €1.67

-40.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.24 €1.10

-9.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.98 €0.87

-10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$6.28 €5.59

-12.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$4.53 €4.03

123.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.21 €1.07

76.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.63 €1.45

38.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.24 €1.99

-39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$39.68 €35.29

-24.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$4.33 €3.85

2.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.78 €1.58

-42.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$16.67 €14.83

1.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.90 €1.69

18.42%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$33.1K €29.4K

-15.26%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$37.7K €33.5K

-25.04%

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

$205 €182

$110 €97.7

86.30%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$16.96 €15.08

57.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$46.09 €40.99

-34.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$37.59 €33.44

44.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$15.09 €13.42

71.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$5.44 €4.84

91.54%

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

$569 €506

$341 €303

66.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$10.0K €8,932

25.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$65.5 €58.3

35.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$37.57 €33.42

7.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$82.7 €73.5

26.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$98.5 €87.6

23.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$957 €851

-22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$768 €683

-14.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$1,517 €1,349

-14.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$1,164 €1,035

-1.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$2,957 €2,631

35.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$2,267 €2,017

52.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$1,048 €932

18.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.55

26.20%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Madeira: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$768 50.8% 17.3% $113

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$184 12.2% 40.6% $126

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$147 9.7% 45.2% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$173 11.5% 33.9% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$128 8.5% 20% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$48 3.2% 35.7% $27

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$62 4.1% 37.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 19% 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 $20.00 in Sao Joao da Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $184 per month, with Sao Joao da Madeira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇵🇹 Sao Joao da Madeira

🕒 Local time

23:32 11:32 PM

21:32 9:32 PM

2 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

22,144

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Athens Sao Joao da Madeira 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
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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 Sao Joao da Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 19% 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: $741 in Athens versus $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Joao da Madeira – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Joao da Madeira but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Joao da Madeira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sao Joao da Madeira delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,510 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sao Joao da Madeira hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Sao Joao da Madeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.