Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Vlore

For one person, living is cheaper in Vlore: $1,194 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Vlore
🇦🇱 Albania
$1,194
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Vlore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $1,194 in Vlore.

  • Athens $1,806
  • Vlore $1,194

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $1,780 in Vlore.

  • Athens $2,731
  • Vlore $1,780

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $2,367 in Vlore.

  • Athens $3,656
  • Vlore $2,367

Living in Athens is roughly 51% more expensive than in Vlore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 35% above, Vlore is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Vlore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.87
$9.66 ALL 786
72.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €59.1
$37.59 ALL 3,058
76.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.06 €9.87
$7.24 ALL 589
52.76%
Cappuccino
$4.14 €3.69
$1.89 ALL 154
119.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.50
$1.85 ALL 150
51.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$0.68 ALL 55.3
-16.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.03
$2.42 ALL 197
133.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.87
$3.37 ALL 275
62.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Vlore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.88 ALL 153
4.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.26
$0.98 ALL 79.4
43.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 €2.53
$1.99 ALL 162
42.21%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.50
$2.60 ALL 212
93.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.35 €13.70
$10.16 ALL 827
51.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.34 €9.23
$8.63 ALL 702
19.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.97 €16.93
$14.03 ALL 1,142
35.21%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.97 ALL 160
10.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$2.22 ALL 180
-13.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.67 ALL 136
-17.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.64 ALL 134
34.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.07 ALL 86.8
2.80%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.00
$1.27 ALL 103
-11.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.19 ALL 96.7
-7.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$0.78 ALL 63.4
6.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.60 €4.99
$4.22 ALL 343
32.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 €9.09
$8.15 ALL 663
25.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.74 ALL 141
25.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.19
$1.87 ALL 152
31.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Vlore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.38 €1.23
$0.51 ALL 41.86
170.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.87 €27.55
$24.55 ALL 1,997
25.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.90
$3.58 ALL 291
22.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$3.70 ALL 301
-71.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.11 €15.27
$18.09 ALL 1,472
-5.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.17 ALL 177
6.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$34.2K ALL 2.8M
-18.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$24.9K ALL 2.0M
12.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Vlore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €187
$60.5 ALL 4,919
246.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.70 €23.83
$16.51 ALL 1,343
61.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.13 €26.89
$16.81 ALL 1,368
79.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Vlore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.6 €48.72
$57.6 ALL 4,689
-5.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.03 €23.23
$28.41 ALL 2,312
-8.38%
Cinema Ticket
$10.78 €9.62
$8.41 ALL 684
28.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Vlore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$575 €513
$97.6 ALL 7,937
489.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K €11.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Vlore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 €83.1
$47.83 ALL 3,892
94.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.68 €36.30
$55.1 ALL 4,481
-26.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.9
$97.0 ALL 7,889
7.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$145 ALL 11.8K
-11.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Vlore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €674
$545 ALL 44.4K
38.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €582
$422 ALL 34.3K
54.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,154
$686 ALL 55.8K
88.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,163 €1,038
$567 ALL 46.1K
105.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,008 €3,577
$2,088 ALL 169.9K
91.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,452 €3,081
$1,362 ALL 110.8K
153.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Vlore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,243 €1,110
$837 ALL 68.1K
48.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5
-10.40%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Vlore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$652
Vlore
$422 35.4% $231
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$315
Vlore
$249 20.8% $65
Eating Out
Athens
$269
Vlore
$151 43.9% $118
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$267
Vlore
$94 64.8% $173
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$165
Vlore
$155 5.7% $9.4
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$76
Vlore
$74 2.3% $1.7
Getting Around
Athens
$46
Vlore
$49 6% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $545 in Vlore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 49% 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: $66.0 in Athens vs $38.00 in Vlore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $249 per month, with Vlore cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇦🇱 Vlore
🕒 Local time
13:25 1:25 PM
12:25 12:25 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
79,513
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 81.36 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.17 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Vlore 460 km
From you
  • Athens
  • Vlore

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 Vlore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Vlore?
Vlore wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vlore the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Vlore?
Average pay runs 49% 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 Vlore?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Athens versus $545 in Vlore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Vlore?
Dining out is cheaper in Vlore – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $66.0 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 Vlore?
All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $1,194 in Vlore – a 51% 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 Vlore?
At $1,194 in Vlore versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vlore but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Vlore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Vlore?
Both work as nomad bases, but Vlore delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,194 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vlore hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Vlore?
Safety-wise, Athens and Vlore 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 Vlore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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