Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Syros

For one person, living is cheaper in Syros: $1,533 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
74

Cost of Living Index in Syros
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Syros Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Syros

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,533

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Syros

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $1,533 in Syros.

Athens $1,759
Syros $1,533

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $2,316 in Syros.

Athens $2,696
Syros $2,316

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $3,099 in Syros.

Athens $3,632
Syros $3,099

Living in Athens is roughly 15% more expensive than in Syros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 29% above, Syros 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.28

$12.82 €11.49

33.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €59.0

$55.1 €49.36

19.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 €9.82

$10.08 €9.03

8.73%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.68

$3.36 €3.01

22.02%

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

$2.83 €2.54

$2.38 €2.13

18.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.53

$0.73 €0.66

-19.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.04

$5.57 €4.99

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.08

$5.20 €4.66

9.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.78 €1.60

6.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.43 €1.28

2.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$2.59 €2.33

4.63%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.52

$4.52 €4.05

11.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €13.51

$15.50 €13.89

-2.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.21

$10.43 €9.35

-1.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.38

$14.96 €13.41

29.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.17 €1.95

-2.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.05 €1.84

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.34 €1.20

5.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$1.77 €1.58

20.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.94

$1.19 €1.06

-12.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.18 €1.05

-4.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.89 €0.80

26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.70 €0.63

15.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 €4.94

$4.98 €4.46

10.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.95

$8.02 €7.19

24.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$2.23 €2.00

-8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$2.99 €2.68

-23.75%

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

$53.2 €47.70

-42.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.92

$4.44 €3.97

-1.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.10 €0.99

-6.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.05 €15.28

$5.48 €4.91

211.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.18 €1.95

7.34%

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

$28.3K €25.3K

$27.8K €24.9K

1.68%

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

$26.8K €24.0K

$24.1K €21.6K

11.17%

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

$200 €179

$194 €174

3.11%

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

$25.17 €22.56

$25.45 €22.80

-1.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 €26.57

$27.57 €24.71

7.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €45.20

$54.1 €48.46

-6.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.94 €23.24

$25.02 €22.42

3.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.43

$9.01 €8.07

16.76%

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

$576 €516

$391 €350

47.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.6K

$3,967 €3,555

225.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €80.4

$88.9 €79.7

0.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 €35.46

$27.47 €24.62

44.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.5

$84.2 €75.4

25.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$82.9 €74.3

49.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €663

$577 €517

28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €576

$501 €449

28.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,169

$995 €892

31.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €1,004

$828 €742

35.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,011 €3,595

$1,662 €1,489

141.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,284 €2,943

$1,567 €1,404

109.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 €1,097

$966 €865

26.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.44

0.90%

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

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Syros: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$643 36.5%

Syros

$501 32.7% 22% $142

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.7%

Syros

$293 19.1% 6.2% $19

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.4%

Syros

$224 14.6% 17.6% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$255 14.5%

Syros

$247 16.1% 3.1% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.2%

Syros

$128 8.3% 21% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$71 4.1%

Syros

$72 4.7% 0.9% $0.6

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.6%

Syros

$69 4.5% 50.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Athens and $577 in Syros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 27% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $55 in Syros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $293 per month, with Syros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇬🇷 Syros

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

Same time as Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

1,138

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Athens vs Syros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Syros wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Syros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% 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 $577 in Syros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Syros – a meal for two runs $55 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 $1,533 in Syros – Syros is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Syros is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Syros are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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