Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Shakhty

For one person, living is cheaper in Shakhty: $1,093 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Shakhty
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Shakhty Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Shakhty

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,093

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Shakhty

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $1,093 in Shakhty.

Athens $1,779
Shakhty $1,093

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,759 in Shakhty.

Athens $2,721
Shakhty $1,759

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $2,425 in Shakhty.

Athens $3,663
Shakhty $2,425

Living in Athens is roughly 63% more expensive than in Shakhty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Shakhty is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$11.00 ₽897

53.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$39.00 ₽3,181

69.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.98

$7.00 ₽571

60.14%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$2.70 ₽220

51.11%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$1.21 ₽98.7

128.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.67 ₽54.5

-19.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$1.95 ₽159

192.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$3.39 ₽276

84.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.32 ₽108

39.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.70 ₽57.3

104.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.35 ₽110

97.78%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$1.58 ₽129

213.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.44

$12.78 ₽1,042

18.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$6.03 ₽492

82.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.60

$11.11 ₽906

77.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.79 ₽146

18.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.76 ₽143

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.90 ₽155

-30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$3.03 ₽247

-28.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.74 ₽60.7

43.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.67 ₽54.5

71.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.30 ₽106

-16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.64 ₽52.1

32.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$3.31 ₽270

64.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

$7.97 ₽650

25.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.11 ₽90.6

83.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.04 ₽166

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.61 ₽49.53

121.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

$27.96 ₽2,281

9.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$2.17 ₽177

75.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.37 ₽30.17

178.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

$6.53 ₽533

152.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.74 ₽60.5

216.22%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$60.6K ₽4.9M

-54.22%

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$41.8K ₽3.4M

-36.34%

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

$202 €180

$116 ₽9,447

74.60%

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

$26.81 €23.87

$6.61 ₽539

305.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.14

$9.09 ₽742

235.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.14

$31.91 ₽2,602

69.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

$21.30 ₽1,737

28.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$5.55 ₽452

88.11%

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

$568 €505

$353 ₽28.8K

60.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$5,630 ₽459.2K

169.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.7

$100 ₽8,179

-9.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.01

$46.27 ₽3,774

-15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$154 ₽12.6K

-31.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$107 ₽8,690

21.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$454 ₽37.0K

63.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €577

$317 ₽25.8K

104.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$1,020 ₽83.2K

24.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$663 ₽54.0K

69.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,561

$2,215 ₽180.7K

80.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,921

$1,401 ₽114.3K

134.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

21.33

-79.18%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Shakhty

$317 29% 51.1% $331

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Shakhty

$218 20% 31.1% $98

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Shakhty

$165 15.1% 39.1% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Shakhty

$132 12% 49.3% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Shakhty

$183 16.8% 11.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Shakhty

$43 3.9% 42.6% $32

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Shakhty

$34 3.2% 23.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $454 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $39 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $218 per month, with Shakhty cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇷🇺 Shakhty

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

235,492

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 RUB = 1.23 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Shakhty 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Shakhty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shakhty wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Shakhty the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,669 in Athens and $1,639 in Shakhty 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 $454 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Shakhty – a meal for two runs $39 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 $1,093 in Shakhty – Shakhty is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Shakhty 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 Shakhty gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.