Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Zakynthos Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Zakynthos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,696 in Athens versus $1,867 in Zakynthos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,642 in Athens versus $2,718 in Zakynthos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,588 in Athens versus $3,570 in Zakynthos.

Living in Athens costs roughly 9% less than in Zakynthos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 27% above, Zakynthos 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 €15.06

$29.10 €25.06

-39.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €54.7

$58.8 €50.6

8.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.15

$11.60 €9.99

-8.45%

Cappuccino

$4.34 €3.74

$4.95 €4.26

-12.32%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$2.03 €1.75

22.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$0.60 €0.51

11.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 €5.08

$4.53 €3.90

30.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$7.12 €6.13

-18.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$2.40 €2.07

-20.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.98 €1.70

-28.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.50

$3.38 €2.91

-14.20%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.38

$4.80 €4.14

5.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 €12.62

$14.81 €12.75

-1.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €9.74

$15.69 €13.51

-27.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 €12.98

$12.85 €11.06

17.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.02 €2.60

-23.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.94 €2.53

-26.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.90 €1.63

-20.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.18 €1.87

5.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.42 €1.22

-4.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.96 €1.69

-39.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.83 €0.71

51.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$0.71 €0.61

46.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.81

$5.18 €4.46

7.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 €10.12

$7.07 €6.08

66.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.39 €1.20

46.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.49

$3.26 €2.80

-11.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.76 €1.52

-19.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €29.70

$35.24 €30.34

-2.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.43 €2.96

34.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.33 €14.93

$13.76 €11.85

25.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.22 €1.91

-3.60%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$17.6K €15.1K

61.80%

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

$30.4K €26.1K

$19.9K €17.1K

52.84%

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

$219 €188

$371 €319

-41.01%

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

$26.82 €23.09

$43.71 €37.63

-38.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.71 €29.89

$51.6 €44.40

-32.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 €49.15

$29.34 €25.26

94.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.88

$26.63 €22.94

-0.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €8.90

$12.98 €11.17

-20.42%

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

$552 €475

$433 €373

27.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,696

$6,010 €5,175

87.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €79.8

$94.3 €81.2

-1.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.61 €41.00

$92.5 €79.7

-48.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.2

$127 €110

-21.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$115 €99.0

5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 €569

$413 €355

60.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 €501

$399 €344

45.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 €1,017

$812 €699

45.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €886

$589 €507

74.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 €3,542

$3,069 €2,643

34.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,388 €2,917

$2,486 €2,141

36.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,342 €1,155

$1,322 €1,139

1.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

-16.83%

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

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zakynthos: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Athens and $413 in Zakynthos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Athens vs $59.0 in Zakynthos. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $337, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

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 Zakynthos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Zakynthos. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athens pays 1% more on average, 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: $660 in Athens versus $413 in Zakynthos. 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 $64.0 versus $59.0 in Zakynthos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,696 per month in Athens versus $1,867 in Zakynthos – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,696 in Athens versus $1,867 in Zakynthos, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Zakynthos. 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 $1,696 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Zakynthos 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 10% less than in Zakynthos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.