Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Sparta Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Sparta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,834 in Athens versus $1,357 in Sparta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Athens versus $2,011 in Sparta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Athens versus $2,664 in Sparta.

Living in Athens is roughly 35% more expensive than in Sparta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 33% above, Sparta is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 €15.26

$10.63 €9.16

66.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.8

$48.83 €42.09

44.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.05

$8.57 €7.39

35.94%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.74

$3.40 €2.93

27.35%

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

$2.97 €2.56

$2.37 €2.04

25.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.50

$0.60 €0.52

-3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$4.64 €4.00

26.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.94

$4.71 €4.06

21.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.61 €1.39

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.51 €1.30

2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$2.48 €2.14

17.34%

Eggs

$4.63 €3.99

$5.27 €4.54

-12.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.58

$12.02 €10.36

31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 €9.49

$10.08 €8.69

9.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.46

$14.79 €12.75

29.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.35 €2.02

-4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.22 €1.92

-5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.74 €1.50

-15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.97 €1.70

12.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.34 €1.16

-11.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €1.00

$0.93 €0.80

24.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$0.91 €0.78

5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.91

$5.43 €4.68

4.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 €9.07

$6.90 €5.94

52.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.76 €1.52

26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.60 €3.11

-23.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.36 €1.17

1.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 €27.56

$49.25 €42.46

-35.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.57 €3.94

2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.17 €1.01

-9.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €14.95

$13.00 €11.21

33.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.22 €1.92

4.95%

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

$28.6K €24.7K

$26.4K €22.7K

8.53%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$24.0K €20.7K

23.11%

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

$229 €197

$165 €142

38.80%

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

$28.03 €24.16

$23.27 €20.06

20.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.16 €27.72

$29.58 €25.50

8.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.67

$51.9 €44.77

8.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 €24.38

$25.98 €22.40

8.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.46

$9.26 €7.98

18.47%

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

$597 €515

$247 €213

142.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.7K

$2,910 €2,508

367.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €80.6

$71.2 €61.4

31.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €35.91

$36.10 €31.12

15.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.3

$80.9 €69.7

31.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$92.1 €79.4

45.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €637

$508 €438

45.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €570

$406 €350

63.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,155

$773 €666

73.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,011

$522 €450

124.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,006 €3,453

$2,855 €2,461

40.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,438 €2,964

$2,456 €2,117

40.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,293 €1,115

$980 €845

31.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.36

0.23%

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

Last update for Athens: September 5, 2026

Last update for Sparta: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Athens and $508 in Sparta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 32% 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: $71.0 in Athens vs $49.00 in Sparta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $286 per month, with Sparta cheaper across the board.

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 Sparta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 32% 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: $739 in Athens versus $508 in Sparta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sparta – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $71.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,834 per month in Athens versus $1,357 in Sparta – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,357 in Sparta versus $1,834 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sparta but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Sparta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sparta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,357 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sparta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Sparta 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 Sparta 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.