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: $1,740 in Athens versus $2,242 in Summerville, SC.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,669 in Athens versus $3,440 in Summerville, SC.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,598 in Athens versus $4,638 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 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €14.65

$16.53 $16.53

3.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.3

$90.2 $90.2

-30.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 €8.82

$12.66 $12.66

-18.33%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.72

$4.66 $4.66

-6.44%

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

$2.41 €2.06

$2.79 $2.79

-13.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.53

$1.02 $1.02

-39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.07

$4.40 $4.40

35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 €5.05

$5.91 $5.91

0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.57

$1.01 $1.01

83.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.20

$2.85 $2.85

-50.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.48

$3.96 $3.96

-26.52%

Eggs

$4.96 €4.23

$2.51 $2.51

97.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.13 €12.91

$8.38 $8.38

80.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 €9.28

$8.91 $8.91

22.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 €12.94

$15.11 $15.11

0.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.95

$5.02 $5.02

-54.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.85

$1.27 $1.27

70.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$3.95 $3.95

-60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$3.54 $3.54

-35.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.10 $2.10

-34.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €0.99

$2.03 $2.03

-42.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.82 $1.82

-29.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.38 $1.38

-26.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.50 €4.70

$7.52 $7.52

-26.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 €9.56

$12.10 $12.10

-7.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.98 $1.98

1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.54

$2.98 $2.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 €1.19

$1.95 $1.95

-28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.21 €30.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €3.85

$3.48 $3.48

29.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.91

$1.51 $1.51

-29.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.32 €14.78

$33.06 $33.06

-47.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.76

$0.75 $0.75

174.67%

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

$28.6K €24.4K

$19.9K $19.9K

43.76%

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

$30.4K €25.9K

$19.0K $19.0K

59.80%

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

$213 €182

$150 $150

42.03%

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

$27.70 €23.63

$64.5 $64.5

-57.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.80 €30.53

$70.3 $70.3

-49.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 €47.22

$44.35 $44.35

24.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.86 €22.06

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.74

$9.89 $9.89

3.64%

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

$552 €471

$1,514 $1,514

-63.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,440

$23.4K $23.4K

-52.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €79.8

$50.2 $50.2

86.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 €40.76

$24.66 $24.66

93.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.4

$110 $110

-6.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$101 $101

20.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 €546

$1,983 $1,983

-67.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 €485

$1,150 $1,150

-50.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 €995

$3,249 $3,249

-64.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 €868

$1,996 $1,996

-49.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,244 €3,620

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,498 €2,984

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,370 €1,169

$5,016 $5,016

-72.69%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Summerville, SC: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Athens and $1,983 in Summerville, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Summerville, SC pays 266% 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: $63 in Athens vs $90 in Summerville, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $320 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 29% 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, Summerville, SC earns 266% less. 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: $640 in Athens versus $1,983 in Summerville, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $552 in Athens versus $1,514 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 $63.0 versus $90.0 in Summerville, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,740 in Athens versus $2,242 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 $1,740 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 29% less than in Summerville, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.