Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Semey

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $707 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Semey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $707 in Semey.

Athens $1,779
Semey $707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,148 in Semey.

Athens $2,721
Semey $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $1,588 in Semey.

Athens $3,663
Semey $1,588

Living in Athens is roughly 152% more expensive than in Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Semey is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$4.91 ₸2,216

242.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$22.29 ₸10.0K

196.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.98

$5.48 ₸2,470

104.56%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$1.72 ₸776

137.21%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$0.77 ₸345

259.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.49 ₸220

10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$0.85 ₸383

570.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$1.42 ₸641

340.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.02 ₸461

80.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.36 ₸162

297.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.87 ₸842

42.78%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$1.46 ₸658

239.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.44

$5.23 ₸2,357

188.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$3.72 ₸1,676

195.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.60

$5.38 ₸2,426

267.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.24 ₸559

70.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.71 ₸773

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.74 ₸784

-23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.62 ₸728

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.41 ₸186

158.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.61 ₸275

88.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.20 ₸541

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$1.00 ₸449

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$2.41 ₸1,087

126.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

$7.04 ₸3,174

42.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.34 ₸606

52.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.26 ₸1,020

5.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.25 ₸113

440.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

$17.39 ₸7,839

75.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$1.36 ₸613

180.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.14 ₸514

-9.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

$6.70 ₸3,020

146.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.64 ₸287

265.62%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$28.4K ₸12.8M

-2.36%

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$25.8K ₸11.6M

3.21%

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

$202 €180

$33.68 ₸15.2K

500.42%

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

$26.81 €23.87

$9.00 ₸4,056

197.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.14

$18.82 ₸8,484

62.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.14

$42.70 ₸19.3K

26.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

$11.20 ₸5,047

144.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$4.42 ₸1,991

136.20%

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

$568 €505

$134 ₸60.6K

322.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$4,445 ₸2.0M

241.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.7

$28.87 ₸13.0K

213.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.01

$25.42 ₸11.5K

54.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$100 ₸45.2K

4.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$74.8 ₸33.7K

72.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$346 ₸155.9K

114.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €577

$224 ₸100.8K

190.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$632 ₸284.7K

101.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$489 ₸220.5K

129.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,561

$1,054 ₸475.3K

279.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,921

$869 ₸391.9K

277.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

19.25

-76.94%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Semey: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Semey

$224 31.6% 65.5% $425

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Semey

$154 21.7% 51.4% $163

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Semey

$89 12.5% 67.4% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Semey

$62 8.7% 76.3% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Semey

$103 14.6% 37% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Semey

$52 7.3% 31.2% $23

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Semey

$25 3.6% 43.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $346 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $22 in Semey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $154 per month, with Semey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇰🇿 Semey

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

07:33 7:33 AM

3 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

310,456

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Semey 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semey wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Semey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,669 in Athens and $1,061 in Semey to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $742 in Athens versus $346 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Semey – a meal for two runs $22 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 $707 in Semey – Semey is about 60% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $707 in Semey versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Semey but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Semey 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 Semey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.