Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Zakopane

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakopane: $1,490 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Athens despite lower rent and utilities.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Zakopane
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Zakopane Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Zakopane

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Zakopane

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,490 in Zakopane.

Athens $1,775
Zakopane $1,490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,250 in Zakopane.

Athens $2,721
Zakopane $2,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,010 in Zakopane.

Athens $3,666
Zakopane $3,010

Living in Athens is roughly 19% more expensive than in Zakopane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Zakopane 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$8.30 zł 32.25

101.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$28.27 zł 110

139.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$8.30 zł 32.26

34.22%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$3.53 zł 13.70

14.16%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$2.63 zł 10.21

5.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.98 zł 7.69

-72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$2.45 zł 9.51

134.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$4.47 zł 17.36

21.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$0.98 zł 3.80

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.20 zł 4.67

15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$1.24 zł 4.81

125.81%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$2.35 zł 9.14

105.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$6.61 zł 25.67

127.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$5.01 zł 19.47

112.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$5.24 zł 20.35

251.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.73 zł 2.82

201.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.38 zł 5.37

37.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.42 zł 5.52

-3.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.50 zł 9.73

-16.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.29 zł 1.15

272.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.89 zł 3.47

25.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.67 zł 2.59

67.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.59 zł 2.29

49.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$4.27 zł 16.59

28.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$4.67 zł 18.16

116.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.04 zł 4.04

104.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.55 zł 6.04

45.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.26 zł 4.89

7.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$43.21 zł 168

-30.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$1.52 zł 5.90

192.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$0.73 zł 2.85

39.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$5.05 zł 19.60

235.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.60 zł 6.20

40.62%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$31.0K zł 120.6K

-9.72%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$23.7K zł 92.2K

18.98%

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

$205 €182

$244 zł 949

-16.23%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$7.80 zł 30.30

241.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$17.08 zł 66.3

77.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$8.84 zł 34.35

516.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$13.61 zł 52.9

90.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$7.32 zł 28.43

42.35%

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

$569 €506

$310 zł 1,205

83.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$2,254 zł 8,759

458.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$53.9 zł 210

64.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$18.93 zł 73.6

113.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$50.3 zł 195

108.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$46.60 zł 181

160.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$727 zł 2,823

1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$737 zł 2,864

-11.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$1,278 zł 4,966

1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$1,547 zł 6,010

-25.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$5,876 zł 22.8K

-31.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$5,888 zł 22.9K

-41.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$1,568 zł 6,091

-20.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.5

-31.08%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Zakopane: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Zakopane

$737 49.5% 12.6% $83

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Zakopane

$157 10.5% 49.4% $153

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Zakopane

$173 11.6% 35.4% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Zakopane

$269 18.1% 2.9% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Zakopane

$76 5.1% 52.2% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Zakopane

$23 1.6% 68.8% $52

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Zakopane

$53 3.6% 19.1% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $727 in Zakopane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakopane pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $28.00 in Zakopane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $157 per month, with Zakopane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇵🇱 Zakopane

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

07:07 7:07 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

26,662

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Zakopane 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
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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 Zakopane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zakopane wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zakopane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Zakopane. 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 $727 in Zakopane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Zakopane – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,490 in Zakopane – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,490 in Zakopane versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zakopane but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Zakopane the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zakopane delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,490 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zakopane hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Zakopane 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 Zakopane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.