Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Szolnok

For one person, living is cheaper in Szolnok: $1,106 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Szolnok
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,106
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Szolnok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,106 in Szolnok.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Szolnok $1,106

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,692 in Szolnok.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Szolnok $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $2,278 in Szolnok.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Szolnok $2,278

Living in Athens is roughly 60% more expensive than in Szolnok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Szolnok is 18% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Szolnok
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$9.60 Ft 3,101
73.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$46.62 Ft 15.1K
45.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$8.00 Ft 2,585
39.25%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$2.30 Ft 741
75.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.01 Ft 648
37.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.19 Ft 386
-53.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$2.55 Ft 823
125.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$2.67 Ft 864
104.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Szolnok
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$0.92 Ft 297
97.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.24 Ft 399
11.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$1.62 Ft 523
72.84%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$3.08 Ft 994
56.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$7.29 Ft 2,356
106.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$6.60 Ft 2,132
61.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$13.28 Ft 4,291
38.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.44 Ft 464
52.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.74 Ft 562
9.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.52 Ft 492
-9.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.30 Ft 744
-8.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.68 Ft 220
58.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.73 Ft 236
53.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.02 Ft 330
9.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.37 Ft 120
137.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$6.84 Ft 2,211
-19.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$3.62 Ft 1,168
179.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$0.89 Ft 286
139.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.30 Ft 420
73.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Szolnok
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.06 Ft 342
28.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$26.01 Ft 8,402
14.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$2.82 Ft 912
57.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$2.24 Ft 724
-54.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$14.84 Ft 4,794
14.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.82 Ft 588
23.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$27.5K Ft 8.9M
1.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$36.6K Ft 11.8M
-22.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Szolnok
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$128 Ft 41.3K
59.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$29.81 Ft 9,631
-10.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$22.14 Ft 7,152
37.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Szolnok
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$41.80 Ft 13.5K
30.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$18.06 Ft 5,835
43.30%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$3.37 Ft 1,088
209.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Szolnok
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$151 Ft 48.8K
276.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$4,944 Ft 1.6M
154.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Szolnok
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$81.0 Ft 26.2K
9.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$50.2 Ft 16.2K
-19.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$88.6 Ft 28.6K
18.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$116 Ft 37.6K
4.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Szolnok
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$397 Ft 128.1K
86.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$327 Ft 105.5K
100.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$625 Ft 201.9K
107.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$504 Ft 162.9K
127.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$2,013 Ft 650.4K
99.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$1,598 Ft 516.2K
116.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Szolnok
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$1,059 Ft 342.1K
17.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
7.69
-41.74%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Szolnok
$327 50.1% $328
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Szolnok
$197 36.7% $114
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Szolnok
$159 40.6% $109
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Szolnok
$180 31.2% $82
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Szolnok
$151 5.4% $8.6
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Szolnok
$49 35.6% $27
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Szolnok
$44 1.4% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $397 in Szolnok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 17% 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: $68.0 in Athens vs $47.00 in Szolnok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $197 per month, with Szolnok cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇭🇺 Szolnok
🕒 Local time
04:10 4:10 AM
03:10 3:10 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
66,426
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Szolnok 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Szolnok

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 Szolnok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Szolnok?
Szolnok wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Szolnok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Szolnok?
Average pay runs 17% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Szolnok?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $397 in Szolnok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Szolnok?
Dining out is cheaper in Szolnok – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. 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 Szolnok?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,106 in Szolnok – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Szolnok?
At $1,106 in Szolnok versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Szolnok but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Szolnok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Szolnok?
Both work as nomad bases, but Szolnok delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,106 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Szolnok hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Szolnok?
Safety-wise, Athens and Szolnok 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 Szolnok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Athens vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?