Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Summerville, SC Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Summerville, SC

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,733 in Athens versus $2,218 in Summerville, SC.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,632 in Athens versus $3,385 in Summerville, SC.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,532 in Athens versus $4,552 in Summerville, SC.

Living in Athens costs roughly 22% less than in Summerville, SC, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 30% above, Summerville, SC 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.31 €15.16

$16.82 $16.82

2.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 €56.1

$89.2 $89.2

-28.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.23

$12.57 $12.57

-16.15%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.81

$4.81 $4.81

-9.56%

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

$2.39 €2.10

$2.74 $2.74

-12.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.55

$1.02 $1.02

-38.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.03

$4.42 $4.42

29.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €5.06

$6.04 $6.04

-4.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.01 $1.01

90.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 €1.23

$2.88 $2.88

-51.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.45

$4.06 $4.06

-31.28%

Eggs

$5.11 €4.47

$2.61 $2.61

95.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.68 €12.86

$8.24 $8.24

78.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.18 €9.80

$8.61 $8.61

29.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 €13.12

$15.60 $15.60

-3.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$5.02 $5.02

-55.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.86

$1.28 $1.28

65.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$4.19 $4.19

-64.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €2.02

$3.66 $3.66

-37.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.19

$2.09 $2.09

-34.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.07

$2.08 $2.08

-40.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.87 $1.87

-32.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.88

$1.39 $1.39

-27.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 €5.03

$7.60 $7.60

-24.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 €9.15

$12.13 $12.13

-13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.98 $1.98

1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.02 $3.02

-1.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.18

$2.03 $2.03

-33.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.07 €29.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 €4.14

$3.52 $3.52

34.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.94

$1.46 $1.46

-26.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.66 €15.47

$32.96 $32.96

-46.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.81 $0.81

150.62%

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

$29.0K €25.4K

$19.9K $19.9K

45.69%

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

$29.4K €25.8K

$19.3K $19.3K

52.33%

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

$217 €190

$153 $153

41.92%

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

$26.99 €23.65

$64.0 $64.0

-57.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.93 €30.61

$72.9 $72.9

-52.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €48.38

$45.84 $45.84

20.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.52 €23.23

Cinema Ticket

$10.50 €9.20

$10.03 $10.03

4.69%

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

$551 €483

$1,475 $1,475

-62.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,680

$23.3K $23.3K

-52.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.8 €81.3

$50.9 $50.9

82.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.71 €41.80

$25.08 $25.08

90.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €88.2

$112 $112

-9.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$100 $100

18.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 €568

$1,982 $1,982

-67.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 €496

$1,166 $1,166

-51.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 €1,044

$3,230 $3,230

-63.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €901

$2,017 $2,017

-49.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,920 €3,434

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,291 €2,883

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,320 €1,156

$4,981 $4,981

-73.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

6.3

-20.79%

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

Last update for Athens: July 20, 2026

Last update for Summerville, SC: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $648 in Athens and $1,982 in Summerville, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Summerville, SC pays 277% 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: $64.0 in Athens vs $89.0 in Summerville, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $323 per month, with Athens 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 Summerville, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Summerville, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 277% lower in Summerville, SC. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $648 in Athens versus $1,982 in Summerville, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $551 in Athens versus $1,475 in Summerville, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $89.0 in Summerville, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,733 in Athens versus $2,218 in Summerville, SC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Summerville, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,733 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Summerville, SC 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Summerville, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.