Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Sumba

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumba: $213 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Sumba

🇫🇴 Faroe Islands

$213

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Sumba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $213 in Sumba.

Athens $1,806
Sumba $213

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $285 in Sumba.

Athens $2,731
Sumba $285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $357 in Sumba.

Athens $3,656
Sumba $357

Living in Athens is roughly 749% more expensive than in Sumba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 35% above, Sumba is 84% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.87

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.87

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

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

$2.80 €2.50

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.32 FOK 15.52

-15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

Eggs

$5.04 €4.50

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.70

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.23

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.93

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$10.63 FOK 71.0

-47.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.09

$12.06 FOK 80.6

-15.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.26 FOK 15.13

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.84 FOK 12.31

33.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$4.51 FOK 30.10

-69.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.55

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.92 FOK 12.86

20.31%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

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

$28.0K €25.0K

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

$210 €187

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

$26.70 €23.83

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

$61.9 FOK 414

-51.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.72

$37.94 FOK 253

43.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

$15.51 FOK 104

-30.50%

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

$575 €513

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,154

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,038

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,110

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sumba: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Sumba

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Sumba

–

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Sumba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Sumba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Sumba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Sumba

–

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Sumba

–

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇫🇴 Sumba

🕒 Local time

07:56 7:56 AM

05:56 5:56 AM

2 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

300

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Faroese Króna FOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 FOK = 0.15 USD

1 FOK = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Athens Sumba 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Athens
Sumba

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 Sumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sumba wins on cost – living expenses run 749% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sumba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,709 in Athens and $319 in Sumba 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 405% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $213 in Sumba – a 749% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $213 in Sumba versus $1,806 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sumba but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Sumba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sumba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $213 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sumba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Sumba 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 Sumba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 749% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.