Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Solothurn

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,728 in Solothurn, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Solothurn
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$2,728
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Solothurn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $2,728 in Solothurn.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Solothurn $2,728

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $4,408 in Solothurn.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Solothurn $4,408

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $6,088 in Solothurn.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Solothurn $6,088

Living in Athens costs roughly 35% less than in Solothurn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Solothurn 102% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Solothurn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$30.10 CHF 24.79
-44.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$143 CHF 118
-52.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$18.34 CHF 15.10
-39.26%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$6.40 CHF 5.27
-37.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$5.50 CHF 4.53
-49.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$5.11 CHF 4.21
-89.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$6.42 CHF 5.28
-10.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$5.95 CHF 4.90
-8.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Solothurn
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.20 CHF 1.81
-17.27%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$3.71 CHF 3.05
-62.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$3.42 CHF 2.81
-18.13%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$8.35 CHF 6.88
-42.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$22.38 CHF 18.43
-32.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$26.23 CHF 21.61
-59.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$62.0 CHF 51.1
-70.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.80 CHF 2.30
-21.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.40 CHF 1.16
35.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.46 CHF 2.85
-60.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$4.31 CHF 3.55
-51.28%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.63 CHF 1.34
-33.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.74 CHF 1.44
-35.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.60 CHF 1.32
-30.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.95 CHF 0.78
-7.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$10.83 CHF 8.92
-49.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$13.82 CHF 11.38
-26.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$2.76 CHF 2.27
-22.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$3.04 CHF 2.50
-25.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Solothurn
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$4.77 CHF 3.93
-71.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$8.21 CHF 6.76
-45.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$4.66 CHF 3.84
-78.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$87.2 CHF 71.8
-80.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.26 CHF 1.86
-0.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$29.9K CHF 24.6K
-6.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$35.8K CHF 29.5K
-21.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Solothurn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$96.7 CHF 79.6
111.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$30.46 CHF 25.09
-12.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$54.5 CHF 44.86
-44.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Solothurn
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$90.0 CHF 74.2
-39.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$16.71 CHF 13.76
54.88%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$17.70 CHF 14.57
-41.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Solothurn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$3,585 CHF 2,952
-84.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$19.6K CHF 16.1K
-35.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Solothurn
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$142 CHF 117
-37.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$42.66 CHF 35.14
-5.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$162 CHF 134
-35.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$251 CHF 206
-51.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Solothurn
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$1,132 CHF 933
-34.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$1,020 CHF 840
-35.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$1,823 CHF 1,501
-28.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,760 CHF 1,449
-34.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$9,738 CHF 8,021
-58.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$4,850 CHF 3,994
-28.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Solothurn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$6,725 CHF 5,538
-81.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
2.07
116.43%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Solothurn: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Solothurn
$1K 55.9% $366
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Solothurn
$622 100% $311
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Solothurn
$459 71.2% $191
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Solothurn
$182 30.6% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Solothurn
$269 68% $109
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Solothurn
$125 66.5% $50
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Solothurn
$51 * 12.7% $5.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $1,132 in Solothurn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solothurn pays 441% 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 $143 in Solothurn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $622 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇨🇭 Solothurn
🕒 Local time
06:57 6:57 AM
05:57 5:57 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
16,599
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Solothurn 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Solothurn

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 Solothurn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Solothurn?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Solothurn. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Solothurn?
On paper, salaries run 441% lower in Solothurn. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Solothurn?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $1,132 in Solothurn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Athens and in Solothurn?
Childcare runs $569 in Athens versus $3,585 in Solothurn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Solothurn?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $143 in Solothurn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Solothurn?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,728 in Solothurn, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Solothurn. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Solothurn?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Solothurn?
Safety-wise, Athens and Solothurn are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Solothurn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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