Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Staefa

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,771 a month against $3,334 in Staefa, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Staefa
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,334
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Staefa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $3,334 in Staefa.

  • Athens $1,771
  • Staefa $3,334

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $5,350 in Staefa.

  • Athens $2,736
  • Staefa $5,350

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $7,365 in Staefa.

  • Athens $3,701
  • Staefa $7,365

Living in Athens costs roughly 47% less than in Staefa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Staefa 146% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Staefa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.97
$32.82 CHF 27.03
-48.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 €60.7
$121 CHF 99.3
-43.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 €10.17
$16.37 CHF 13.49
-30.18%
Cappuccino
$4.06 €3.61
$6.22 CHF 5.12
-34.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.44
$5.88 CHF 4.84
-53.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 €0.47
$5.00 CHF 4.12
-89.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.06
$8.26 CHF 6.80
-31.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 €5.06
$8.41 CHF 6.93
-32.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Staefa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.23 CHF 1.84
-17.04%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 €1.28
$3.45 CHF 2.84
-58.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$3.77 CHF 3.11
-25.20%
Eggs
$4.86 €4.32
$8.37 CHF 6.90
-41.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.27 €13.58
$26.91 CHF 22.17
-43.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.36 €9.21
$25.91 CHF 21.34
-60.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.10 €16.99
$55.2 CHF 45.46
-65.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$3.47 CHF 2.86
-36.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$2.75 CHF 2.27
-30.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 €1.25
$3.58 CHF 2.95
-60.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$4.48 CHF 3.69
-54.46%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 €0.93
$2.49 CHF 2.05
-57.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 €1.04
$2.28 CHF 1.88
-48.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.96
$2.48 CHF 2.05
-56.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 €0.75
$1.29 CHF 1.06
-34.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.49 €4.89
$10.79 CHF 8.88
-49.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.17 €9.05
$13.68 CHF 11.27
-25.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.90
$2.74 CHF 2.26
-22.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$3.21 CHF 2.64
-28.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Staefa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.37 €1.22
$4.37 CHF 3.60
-68.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.71 €26.43
$100 CHF 82.5
-70.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.39 €3.90
$7.40 CHF 6.10
-40.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 €0.89
$4.73 CHF 3.89
-78.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 €14.79
$87.0 CHF 71.7
-80.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.38 €2.11
$2.34 CHF 1.93
1.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K €25.3K
$39.6K CHF 32.6K
-28.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K €24.2K
$39.5K CHF 32.5K
-31.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Staefa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 €181
$236 CHF 194
-13.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.79 €23.83
$31.65 CHF 26.06
-15.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.16 €26.82
$56.5 CHF 46.52
-46.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Staefa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.7 €47.74
$79.0 CHF 65.1
-32.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.40 €23.48
$44.96 CHF 37.03
-41.28%
Cinema Ticket
$10.59 €9.42
$22.08 CHF 18.18
-52.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Staefa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$566 €504
$2,812 CHF 2,316
-79.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.4K
$42.2K CHF 34.7K
-69.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Staefa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 €79.3
$138 CHF 113
-35.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 €36.01
$59.9 CHF 49.37
-32.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.3
$147 CHF 121
-29.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$171 CHF 141
-27.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Staefa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 €648
$1,581 CHF 1,302
-53.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$647 €576
$1,382 CHF 1,138
-53.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,328 €1,181
$2,894 CHF 2,383
-54.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$2,779 CHF 2,289
-57.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,024 €3,579
$17.3K CHF 14.3K
-76.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,483 €3,098
$14.1K CHF 11.6K
-75.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Staefa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,240 €1,103
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
1.72
160.47%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Staefa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$647
Staefa
$1.4K 113% $734
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$312
Staefa
$637 104% $324
Eating Out
Athens
$271
Staefa
$488 80.3% $217
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Staefa
$324 24.5% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$161
Staefa
$232 44.2% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Staefa
$123 64.6% $48
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Staefa
$149 234% $104

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $1,581 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $121 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $637 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇨🇭 Staefa
🕒 Local time
19:01 7:01 PM
18:01 6:01 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
11,567
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 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 Staefa 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Staefa

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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Staefa?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Staefa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Athens and in Staefa?
You'd need roughly $2,657 in Athens and $5,002 in Staefa 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Staefa?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Athens versus $1,581 in Staefa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Staefa?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $121 in Staefa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Athens compared to Staefa?
All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $3,334 in Staefa – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Staefa?
At $1,771 in Athens versus $3,334 in Staefa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Staefa. 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 Staefa?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,771 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 Staefa?
Safety-wise, Athens and Staefa 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 88% less than in Staefa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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