Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Thiva Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Thiva

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,743 in Athens versus $1,241 in Thiva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,655 in Athens versus $2,003 in Thiva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Athens versus $2,765 in Thiva.

Living in Athens is roughly 40% more expensive than in Thiva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Thiva is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.95

$13.20 €11.51

29.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.4

$57.6 €50.2

10.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 €9.12

$7.06 €6.15

48.16%

Cappuccino

$4.28 €3.73

$2.53 €2.20

69.17%

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

$2.40 €2.09

$1.63 €1.42

47.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.58

$0.50 €0.44

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.20

$4.70 €4.10

26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 €4.96

$2.88 €2.51

97.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.49 €1.30

26.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.57 €1.37

-9.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$2.19 €1.91

25.57%

Eggs

$5.07 €4.42

$4.17 €3.64

21.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.16 €13.22

$13.66 €11.91

10.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 €9.52

$9.48 €8.26

15.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 €13.23

$13.01 €11.34

16.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.00

$1.70 €1.48

35.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.85 €1.61

11.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.12 €0.97

39.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.88 €1.64

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.04 €0.90

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.26 €1.10

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.06

$0.92 €0.80

31.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.91

$0.48 €0.42

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.63 €4.91

$4.75 €4.14

18.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 €9.02

$6.96 €6.07

48.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.64 €1.43

23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.47

$1.93 €1.69

47.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.41 €1.23

-2.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.70 €30.25

$45.74 €39.88

-24.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 €3.94

$3.80 €3.31

18.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.53 €15.28

$13.88 €12.10

26.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.10 €1.83

-2.38%

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

$28.7K €25.1K

$31.8K €27.7K

-9.57%

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

$30.3K €26.5K

$29.8K €25.9K

1.98%

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

$217 €189

$185 €161

17.29%

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

$27.79 €24.23

$23.84 €20.78

16.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.81 €30.35

$30.98 €27.01

12.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 €48.89

$51.0 €44.43

10.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €22.56

$26.12 €22.78

-0.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.24 €8.93

$8.21 €7.16

24.73%

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

$555 €484

$343 €299

62.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,632

$5,540 €4,829

99.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €81.1

$51.4 €44.83

80.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 €41.88

$35.10 €30.60

36.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 €86.5

$96.6 €84.2

2.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$95.5 €83.2

27.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 €558

$352 €306

81.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 €495

$288 €251

96.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,050

$789 €688

52.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 €885

$605 €527

67.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,901 €3,401

$1,748 €1,524

123.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,334 €2,907

$1,418 €1,236

135.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,343 €1,170

$1,158 €1,010

15.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.34

14.98%

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

Last update for Athens: July 28, 2026

Last update for Thiva: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Athens and $352 in Thiva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 16% 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 $58.0 in Thiva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $258 per month, with Thiva 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 Thiva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thiva wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thiva the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $640 in Athens versus $352 in Thiva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Thiva – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,743 per month in Athens versus $1,241 in Thiva – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,241 in Thiva versus $1,743 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Thiva but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Thiva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Thiva delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,241 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Thiva hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Thiva 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 Thiva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.