Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Uster

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $3,689 in Uster, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
178

Cost of Living Index in Uster
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Uster Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Uster

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Uster

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $3,689 in Uster.

Athens $1,775
Uster $3,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $5,289 in Uster.

Athens $2,721
Uster $5,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $6,889 in Uster.

Athens $3,666
Uster $6,889

Living in Athens costs roughly 52% less than in Uster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Uster 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$30.11 CHF 24.80

-44.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$120 CHF 98.7

-43.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$18.34 CHF 15.10

-39.26%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$6.04 CHF 4.97

-33.28%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$5.33 CHF 4.39

-48.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$4.79 CHF 3.95

-88.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$8.59 CHF 7.08

-33.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.84

$6.73 CHF 5.54

-19.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-18.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$3.34 CHF 2.75

-58.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$4.39 CHF 3.61

-36.22%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$7.35 CHF 6.05

-34.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$32.17 CHF 26.49

-53.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$29.34 CHF 24.17

-63.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$42.64 CHF 35.12

-56.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.44 CHF 2.84

-36.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.81 CHF 2.31

-51.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$4.58 CHF 3.78

-54.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.18 CHF 1.79

-48.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.43 CHF 2.00

-53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.33 CHF 1.10

-33.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$10.65 CHF 8.77

-48.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$12.97 CHF 10.69

-21.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$3.25 CHF 2.68

-34.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$3.34 CHF 2.75

-32.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$4.60 CHF 3.79

-70.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$99.8 CHF 82.2

-70.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$5.46 CHF 4.50

-18.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$3.28 CHF 2.70

-68.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$59.4 CHF 48.94

-71.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.19 CHF 1.80

2.74%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$43.3K CHF 35.6K

-35.22%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

-28.92%

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

$205 €182

$233 CHF 192

-12.17%

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

$26.65 €23.70

$31.89 CHF 26.26

-16.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$65.4 CHF 53.8

-53.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.46

$73.6 CHF 60.6

-25.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$45.51 CHF 37.49

-43.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$21.75 CHF 17.92

-52.09%

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

$569 €506

$1,802 CHF 1,484

-68.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$32.6K CHF 26.8K

-61.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$164 CHF 135

-46.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$86.4 CHF 71.1

-53.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$143 CHF 118

-26.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$173 CHF 142

-29.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$1,678 CHF 1,382

-55.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$1,759 CHF 1,448

-62.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$2,928 CHF 2,412

-55.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$2,382 CHF 1,962

-51.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$15.9K CHF 13.1K

-74.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$12.1K CHF 9,993

-71.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$6,850 CHF 5,642

-81.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

1.72

160.47%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Uster: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Uster

$1.8K 47.7% 169% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Uster

$623 16.9% 101% $312

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Uster

$465 12.6% 73.5% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Uster

$330 9% 26.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Uster

$255 6.9% 59.5% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Uster

$117 3.2% 55.5% $42

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Uster

$140 3.8% 212% $95

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $1,678 in Uster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uster pays 451% 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 $120 in Uster for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $623 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇨🇭 Uster

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

12:33 12:33 PM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

33,097

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Uster 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Uster

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 Uster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 108% lower than in Uster. 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 451% lower in Uster. 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: $741 in Athens versus $1,678 in Uster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $120 in Uster. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $3,689 in Uster – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $3,689 in Uster, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Uster. 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 $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Uster 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 108% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.