Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Zug

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $4,866 in Zug, rent and utilities included – about $36,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index
236

Cost of Living Index in Zug
Learn more

Zug Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Zug

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Zug

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $4,866 in Zug.

Athens $1,806
Zug $4,866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $7,682 in Zug.

Athens $2,731
Zug $7,682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $10.5K in Zug.

Athens $3,656
Zug $10.5K

Living in Athens costs roughly 63% less than in Zug, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 35% above, Zug 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.87

$35.83 CHF 29.74

-53.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

$177 CHF 147

-62.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.87

$23.97 CHF 19.90

-53.86%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$6.99 CHF 5.80

-40.77%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$6.08 CHF 5.04

-53.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$5.89 CHF 4.89

-90.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$9.83 CHF 8.16

-42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

$7.60 CHF 6.31

-28.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.24 CHF 1.86

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

$4.19 CHF 3.48

-66.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$4.26 CHF 3.54

-33.57%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.50

$7.87 CHF 6.53

-35.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.70

$27.20 CHF 22.58

-43.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.23

$30.46 CHF 25.28

-66.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.93

$42.05 CHF 34.90

-54.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.69 CHF 3.07

-41.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.04 CHF 1.69

-6.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.71 CHF 2.25

-49.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$5.43 CHF 4.50

-59.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.94 CHF 1.61

-43.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$2.14 CHF 1.77

-47.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$2.40 CHF 1.99

-54.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.37 CHF 1.13

-39.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$10.66 CHF 8.85

-47.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.09

$17.83 CHF 14.80

-42.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.97 CHF 2.47

-26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

$3.96 CHF 3.29

-38.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$4.90 CHF 4.07

-71.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.55

$162 CHF 134

-80.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$8.88 CHF 7.37

-50.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$6.10 CHF 5.06

-82.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

$35.83 CHF 29.73

-52.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.31 CHF 1.91

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$42.4K CHF 35.2K

-33.99%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$39.8K CHF 33.0K

-29.55%

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

$210 €187

$273 CHF 227

-23.20%

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

$26.70 €23.83

$37.76 CHF 31.34

-29.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

$61.9 CHF 51.4

-51.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.72

$121 CHF 100

-54.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

$31.87 CHF 26.45

-18.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

$23.75 CHF 19.71

-54.61%

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

$575 €513

$4,147 CHF 3,442

-86.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

$35.9K CHF 29.8K

-63.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$164 CHF 136

-43.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

$66.7 CHF 55.4

-39.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

$152 CHF 126

-31.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$269 CHF 223

-52.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$3,874 CHF 3,215

-80.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$2,656 CHF 2,204

-75.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,154

$6,844 CHF 5,680

-81.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,038

$4,929 CHF 4,091

-76.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

$30.5K CHF 25.3K

-86.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

$20.8K CHF 17.3K

-83.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,110

$7,227 CHF 5,999

-82.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

1.9

135.79%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Zug: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Zug

$2.7K 54.2% 307% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Zug

$636 13% 102% $321

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Zug

$555 11.3% 106% $286

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Zug

$373 7.6% 39.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Zug

$293 6% 77.9% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Zug

$168 3.4% 121% $92

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Zug

$221 4.5% 381% $175

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $3,874 in Zug. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zug pays 481% 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: $66.0 in Athens vs $177 in Zug for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $636 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇨🇭 Zug

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

05:12 5:12 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

29,251

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athens Zug 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Zug

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 Zug: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 169% lower than in Zug. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 481% lower in Zug. 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: $756 in Athens versus $3,874 in Zug. 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 $66.0 versus $177 in Zug. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $4,866 in Zug – a 169% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,806 in Athens versus $4,866 in Zug, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Zug. 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 $1,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Zug 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 169% less than in Zug. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.