Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Zabljak

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabljak: $1,128 a month against $1,771 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Zabljak
Learn more

Zabljak Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,771

/mo nomad

Zabljak

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Zabljak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $1,128 in Zabljak.

Athens $1,771
Zabljak $1,128

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $1,769 in Zabljak.

Athens $2,736
Zabljak $1,769

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $2,410 in Zabljak.

Athens $3,701
Zabljak $2,410

Living in Athens is roughly 57% more expensive than in Zabljak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Zabljak is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.97

$7.95 €7.08

111.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.7

$31.82 €28.30

114.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 €10.17

$6.55 €5.82

74.50%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.61

$1.63 €1.45

149.08%

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

$2.74 €2.44

$2.24 €2.00

22.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.47

$1.45 €1.29

-63.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.06

$3.00 €2.66

89.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.06

$3.54 €3.15

60.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.27 €1.13

45.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.65 €0.57

121.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$1.31 €1.17

115.27%

Eggs

$4.86 €4.32

$2.97 €2.64

63.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 €13.58

$7.08 €6.30

115.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 €9.21

$7.22 €6.42

43.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.99

$12.23 €10.88

56.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.32 €1.17

68.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.67 €1.49

14.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.51 €1.34

-6.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.41 €1.26

44.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.65 €0.58

61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.70 €0.62

67.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.91 €0.81

18.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.75

$0.96 €0.86

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 €4.89

$4.01 €3.57

36.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 €9.05

$4.41 €3.92

130.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.07 €0.95

99.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.73 €1.54

31.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.63 €1.45

-15.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.71 €26.43

$39.55 €35.18

-24.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 €3.90

$1.14 €1.02

285.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.89

$0.64 €0.57

56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 €14.79

$17.00 €15.12

-2.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.11

$1.77 €1.57

34.46%

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

$28.4K €25.3K

$29.3K €26.1K

-3.14%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$25.6K €22.7K

6.49%

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

$203 €181

$113 €101

79.67%

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

$26.79 €23.83

$15.02 €13.36

78.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 €26.82

$22.02 €19.58

36.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 €47.74

$46.30 €41.18

15.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.40 €23.48

$14.72 €13.10

79.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 €9.42

$6.21 €5.53

70.53%

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

$566 €504

$392 €349

44.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.4K

$9,812 €8,728

31.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.3

$22.65 €20.15

293.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 €36.01

$27.47 €24.43

47.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.3

$55.0 €48.89

88.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$67.7 €60.2

83.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 €648

$645 €573

13.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 €576

$455 €405

42.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,181

$1,277 €1,135

4.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$937 €834

24.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,024 €3,579

$3,324 €2,956

21.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,483 €3,098

$2,357 €2,097

47.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,240 €1,103

$801 €713

54.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.95

-24.71%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Zabljak: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$647 36.5%

Zabljak

$455 40.3% 29.7% $192

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.6%

Zabljak

$196 17.4% 37.2% $116

Eating Out

Athens

$271 15.3%

Zabljak

$140 12.4% 48.4% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.7%

Zabljak

$150 13.3% 42.3% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.1%

Zabljak

$78 6.9% 51.7% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Zabljak

$59 5.2% 21.6% $16

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Zabljak

$50 4.5% 13.1% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $645 in Zabljak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 55% 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 $32.00 in Zabljak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $196 per month, with Zabljak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇲🇪 Zabljak

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

01:46 1:46 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

1,900

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athens Zabljak 700 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Zabljak

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 Zabljak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zabljak wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zabljak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $729 in Athens versus $645 in Zabljak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Zabljak – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $1,128 in Zabljak – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,128 in Zabljak versus $1,771 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zabljak but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Zabljak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zabljak delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,128 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zabljak hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Zabljak 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 Zabljak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.