Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Zimba

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimba: $133 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Zimba

🇿🇲 Zambia

$133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Zimba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $133 in Zimba.

Athens $1,806
Zimba $133

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $207 in Zimba.

Athens $2,731
Zimba $207

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $280 in Zimba.

Athens $3,656
Zimba $280

Living in Athens is roughly 1254% more expensive than in Zimba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 35% above, Zimba is 90% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.87

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.87

$3.08 ZMW 61.0

259.09%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$1.48 ZMW 29.44

179.73%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$0.73 ZMW 14.50

283.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.36 ZMW 7.14

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$0.75 ZMW 14.81

652.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

$1.04 ZMW 20.57

425.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.02 ZMW 20.26

38.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$1.54 ZMW 30.50

83.77%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.50

$1.29 ZMW 25.64

290.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.70

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.23

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.93

$3.57 ZMW 70.7

431.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.80 ZMW 35.74

20.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.56 ZMW 30.93

22.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$3.10 ZMW 61.6

-55.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.79 ZMW 15.59

178.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$0.79 ZMW 15.70

43.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$0.82 ZMW 16.29

34.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.49 ZMW 9.69

69.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.09

$6.21 ZMW 123

64.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$0.79 ZMW 15.76

175.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.04 ZMW 20.57

135.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.55

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

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

$28.0K €25.0K

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

$28.0K €25.0K

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

$210 €187

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

$26.70 €23.83

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.72

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

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

$575 €513

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,154

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,038

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,110

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Zimba: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Zimba

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Zimba

–

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Zimba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Zimba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Zimba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Zimba

–

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Zimba

–

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇿🇲 Zimba

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

08:08 8:08 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

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

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.24 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Zimba 6,150 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Zimba

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 Zimba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zimba wins on cost – living expenses run 1254% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zimba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,709 in Athens and $200 in Zimba to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 227% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $133 in Zimba – a 1254% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $133 in Zimba versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zimba but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Zimba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zimba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $133 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zimba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Zimba 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 Zimba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1254% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.