Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Zliten

For one person, living is cheaper in Zliten: $359 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Zliten
🇱🇾 Libya
$359
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Zliten

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $359 in Zliten.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Zliten $359

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $547 in Zliten.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Zliten $547

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $735 in Zliten.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Zliten $735

Living in Athens is roughly 394% more expensive than in Zliten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Zliten is 73% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Zliten
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$3.91 LYD 25.04
326.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$12.48 LYD 80.0
443.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$2.66 LYD 17.02
318.80%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.48 LYD 3.09
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.73 LYD 4.71
-
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$0.40 LYD 2.59
907.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$0.38 LYD 2.42
628.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$0.10 LYD 0.64
450.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Zliten
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$0.79 LYD 5.07
130.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$0.22 LYD 1.41
527.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$0.75 LYD 4.79
273.33%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$1.13 LYD 7.26
327.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$5.27 LYD 33.77
185.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$2.77 LYD 17.77
283.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$8.77 LYD 56.2
110.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.24 LYD 14.37
-1.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.47 LYD 9.42
29.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$0.72 LYD 4.62
90.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$0.56 LYD 3.61
275.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.71 LYD 4.56
52.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.49 LYD 3.12
128.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.43 LYD 2.73
160.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.19 LYD 1.23
363.16%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.75 LYD 11.22
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.01 LYD 6.44
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.77 LYD 4.93
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$1.89 LYD 12.12
189.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Zliten
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$0.81 LYD 5.21
449.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$0.49 LYD 3.12
108.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$0.02 LYD 0.14
11150.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$22.9K LYD 146.9K
22.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$21.2K LYD 135.7K
33.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Zliten
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$94.0 LYD 602
117.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$6.00 LYD 38.47
344.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$26.52 LYD 170
14.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Zliten
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Zliten
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$53.2 LYD 341
970.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$1,557 LYD 9,975
708.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Zliten
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$22.45 LYD 144
294.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$17.20 LYD 110
135.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$64.4 LYD 413
62.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$67.3 LYD 431
80.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Zliten
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Zliten
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
0
-

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Zliten: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Zliten
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Zliten
$106 65.7% $204
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Zliten
$46 82.8% $222
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Zliten
$127 51.6% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Zliten
$77 51.8% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Zliten
- * 100%
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Zliten
$3.3 * 92.8% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $12.00 in Zliten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $106 per month, with Zliten cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇱🇾 Zliten
🕒 Local time
23:24 11:24 PM
22:24 10:24 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
240,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Zliten 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Zliten

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 Zliten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Zliten?
Zliten wins on cost – living expenses run 394% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zliten the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Athens and in Zliten?
You'd need roughly $2,662 in Athens and $539 in Zliten 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.
How do childcare costs compare in Athens and in Zliten?
Childcare runs $569 in Athens versus $53.2 in Zliten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Zliten?
Dining out is cheaper in Zliten – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Zliten?
At $359 in Zliten versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zliten but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Zliten the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Zliten?
Both work as nomad bases, but Zliten delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $359 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zliten hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Zliten?
Safety-wise, Athens and Zliten 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 Zliten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 394% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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