Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Sparta

For one person, living is cheaper in Sparta: $1,351 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Sparta
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Sparta Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Sparta

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Sparta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $1,351 in Sparta.

Athens $1,759
Sparta $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $1,993 in Sparta.

Athens $2,696
Sparta $1,993

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $2,636 in Sparta.

Athens $3,632
Sparta $2,636

Living in Athens is roughly 30% more expensive than in Sparta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.28

$9.87 €8.84

72.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €59.0

$47.23 €42.32

39.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 €9.82

$7.93 €7.11

38.21%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.68

$3.34 €2.99

22.75%

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

$2.83 €2.54

$2.21 €1.98

28.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.53

$0.58 €0.52

1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.04

$4.45 €3.98

26.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.08

$4.42 €3.96

28.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.65 €1.48

15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.37 €1.22

6.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$2.54 €2.27

6.69%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.52

$5.14 €4.61

-1.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €13.51

$12.34 €11.05

22.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.21

$10.26 €9.19

0.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.38

$15.84 €14.19

22.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.23 €2.00

-4.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.13 €1.91

-10.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.66 €1.48

-15.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.01 €1.80

5.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.94

$1.10 €0.98

-5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.17 €1.05

-3.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.85 €0.77

32.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$1.15 €1.03

-29.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 €4.94

$5.02 €4.50

9.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.95

$7.16 €6.42

39.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$1.81 €1.62

12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$3.38 €3.03

-32.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.35 €1.21

-2.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 €27.48

$53.1 €47.56

-42.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.92

$4.38 €3.93

-0.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.09 €0.98

-5.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.05 €15.28

$12.50 €11.20

36.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.17 €1.94

7.83%

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

$28.3K €25.3K

$24.5K €22.0K

15.14%

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

$26.8K €24.0K

$24.2K €21.7K

10.66%

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

$200 €179

$169 €151

18.33%

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

$25.17 €22.56

$22.61 €20.26

11.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 €26.57

$27.11 €24.29

9.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €45.20

$50.4 €45.16

0.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.94 €23.24

$36.41 €32.62

-28.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.43

$9.38 €8.40

12.15%

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

$576 €516

$233 €209

147.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.6K

$2,794 €2,504

362.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €80.4

$82.4 €73.8

8.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 €35.46

$36.30 €32.52

9.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.5

$80.5 €72.2

30.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$90.4 €81.0

37.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €663

$494 €442

49.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €576

$389 €348

65.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,169

$728 €652

79.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €1,004

$504 €452

122.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,011 €3,595

$2,483 €2,225

61.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,284 €2,943

$1,930 €1,730

70.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 €1,097

$937 €839

30.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.38

2.28%

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

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sparta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$643 36.5%

Sparta

$389 28.8% 39.5% $254

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.7%

Sparta

$290 21.5% 7% $22

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.4%

Sparta

$185 13.7% 31.9% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$255 14.5%

Sparta

$219 16.2% 14.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.2%

Sparta

$130 9.7% 19.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$71 4.1%

Sparta

$69 5.1% 3.3% $2.3

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.6%

Sparta

$68 5.1% 50.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Athens and $494 in Sparta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $47 in Sparta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $290 per month, with Sparta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇬🇷 Sparta

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

Same time as Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

16,239

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Sparta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sparta wins on cost – living expenses run 23% 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 31% 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: $740 in Athens versus $494 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 $47 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,759 per month in Athens versus $1,351 in Sparta – Sparta is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,351 in Sparta versus $1,759 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 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.

Safety-wise, Athens and Sparta are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Sparta wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.