Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Saransk

For one person, living is cheaper in Saransk: $1,154 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Saransk
Learn more

Saransk Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Saransk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Saransk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $1,154 in Saransk.

Athens $1,779
Saransk $1,154

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,839 in Saransk.

Athens $2,721
Saransk $1,839

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $2,523 in Saransk.

Athens $3,663
Saransk $2,523

Living in Athens is roughly 54% more expensive than in Saransk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Saransk is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$14.63 ₽1,195

15.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$55.3 ₽4,513

19.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.99

$7.28 ₽594

53.98%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$3.36 ₽275

21.43%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$1.80 ₽147

53.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.74 ₽60.4

-27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.08

$1.99 ₽163

186.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$3.91 ₽319

60.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.20 ₽98.2

53.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.78 ₽63.7

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.43 ₽117

86.71%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$1.56 ₽127

217.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.45

$11.98 ₽979

25.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$5.12 ₽418

114.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.61

$13.68 ₽1,117

44.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.70 ₽139

24.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.74 ₽142

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.68 ₽137

-20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$3.61 ₽295

-40.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.73 ₽59.4

45.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.61 ₽49.66

88.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.97

$1.30 ₽107

-16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.72 ₽59.1

18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$3.36 ₽274

62.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

$8.50 ₽694

18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.17 ₽95.8

74.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.60 ₽213

-8.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.57 ₽46.64

136.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.19

$25.40 ₽2,074

20.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$2.20 ₽180

73.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.42 ₽34.15

145.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

$7.44 ₽607

121.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.85 ₽69.3

175.29%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$53.2K ₽4.3M

-47.81%

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$39.5K ₽3.2M

-32.64%

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

$202 €180

$141 ₽11.5K

43.72%

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

$26.81 €23.88

$6.75 ₽551

297.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.16

$8.51 ₽695

258.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.17

$38.56 ₽3,149

40.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.41

$27.06 ₽2,210

1.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$7.45 ₽608

40.13%

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

$568 €506

$314 ₽25.6K

80.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$7,219 ₽589.5K

110.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.8

$77.0 ₽6,291

17.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.03

$55.9 ₽4,566

-29.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$140 ₽11.4K

-24.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$83.4 ₽6,807

54.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$492 ₽40.2K

50.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €578

$321 ₽26.2K

101.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$928 ₽75.8K

36.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$584 ₽47.7K

92.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,562

$2,273 ₽185.7K

75.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,923

$1,563 ₽127.6K

109.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

$681 ₽55.6K

82.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

20.88

-78.74%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Saransk: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Saransk

$321 27.9% 50.4% $327

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Saransk

$223 19.4% 29.4% $93

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Saransk

$207 18% 23.7% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Saransk

$156 13.5% 39.9% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Saransk

$160 13.9% 2.3% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Saransk

$53 4.6% 28.7% $21

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Saransk

$32 2.8% 28.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $492 in Saransk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 83% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $55 in Saransk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $223 per month, with Saransk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇷🇺 Saransk

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

22:14 10:14 PM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

320,612

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.66 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.76 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Athens Saransk 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Saransk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saransk wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Saransk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 83% 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: $742 in Athens versus $492 in Saransk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saransk – a meal for two runs $55 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 $1,154 in Saransk – Saransk is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Saransk gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Saransk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.