Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bialystok and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Bialystok: $1,450 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Bialystok
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Bialystok Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Bialystok

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,450

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bialystok and in Athens

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bialystok and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,450 in Bialystok versus $1,775 in Athens.

Bialystok $1,450
Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,061 in Bialystok versus $2,721 in Athens.

Bialystok $2,061
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Bialystok versus $3,666 in Athens.

Bialystok $2,672
Athens $3,666

Living in Bialystok costs roughly 18% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bialystok 7% above, Athens 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 zł 38.15

$16.69 €14.84

-41.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 zł 177

$67.8 €60.3

-32.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 zł 35.02

$11.14 €9.91

-19.12%

Cappuccino

$3.60 zł 13.99

$4.03 €3.58

-10.67%

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

$1.80 zł 6.99

$2.77 €2.46

-35.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 zł 6.11

$0.55 €0.49

185.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 zł 13.48

$5.74 €5.10

-39.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 zł 11.77

$5.45 €4.85

-44.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.11

$1.82 €1.62

-41.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 zł 3.93

$1.38 €1.23

-26.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 zł 8.63

$2.80 €2.49

-20.71%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 14.84

$4.83 €4.30

-20.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 zł 35.94

$15.05 €13.39

-38.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 zł 22.47

$10.63 €9.45

-45.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 zł 43.63

$18.43 €16.39

-39.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 zł 4.68

$2.20 €1.96

-45.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 zł 7.09

$1.90 €1.69

-3.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 zł 6.08

$1.37 €1.22

14.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 zł 7.78

$2.10 €1.87

-4.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 zł 4.05

$1.08 €0.96

-3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.54

$1.12 €1.00

4.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 zł 4.35

$1.12 €1.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 zł 2.40

$0.88 €0.79

-29.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 zł 19.70

$5.48 €4.88

-7.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.29 zł 24.45

$10.13 €9.01

-37.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 zł 4.47

$2.13 €1.89

-46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 zł 5.66

$2.25 €2.00

-35.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 zł 4.26

$1.36 €1.21

-19.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.94 zł 128

$29.89 €26.59

10.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 zł 7.81

$4.45 €3.96

-54.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 zł 2.52

$1.02 €0.90

-36.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.95 zł 50.3

$16.92 €15.05

-23.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 zł 6.01

$2.25 €2.00

-31.11%

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

$30.2K zł 117.4K

$28.0K €24.9K

7.80%

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

$27.0K zł 105.0K

$28.2K €25.1K

-4.25%

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

$298 zł 1,157

$205 €182

45.57%

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

$8.38 zł 32.54

$26.65 €23.71

-68.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.99 zł 69.9

$30.38 €27.02

-40.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.37 zł 161

$54.5 €48.47

-24.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.66 zł 107

$25.88 €23.02

6.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 zł 26.08

$10.42 €9.27

-35.60%

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

$359 zł 1,394

$569 €506

-36.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,280 zł 16.6K

$12.6K €11.2K

-65.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.7 zł 383

$88.7 €78.9

11.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.27 zł 141

$40.46 €35.99

-10.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 zł 334

$105 €93.3

-18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 zł 349

$121 €108

-25.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 zł 2,101

$741 €659

-27.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 zł 1,925

$655 €582

-24.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 zł 3,187

$1,300 €1,156

-36.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 zł 2,799

$1,148 €1,021

-37.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,620 zł 10.2K

$4,014 €3,570

-34.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,272 zł 8,826

$3,460 €3,078

-34.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,462 zł 5,680

$1,242 €1,105

17.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

4.48

57.81%

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

Last update for Bialystok: October 10, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bialystok

$496 34.2%

Athens

$655 36.9% 32.1% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bialystok

$324 22.4%

Athens

$262 14.7% 19.3% $63

Groceries & Markets

Bialystok

$207 14.3%

Athens

$310 17.5% 49.9% $103

Eating Out

Bialystok

$186 12.8%

Athens

$268 15.1% 44.4% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Bialystok

$140 9.7%

Athens

$160 9% 14.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Bialystok

$55 3.8%

Athens

$75 4.2% 37.5% $21

Getting Around

Bialystok

$43 2.9%

Athens

$45 2.5% 5.4% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $541 in Bialystok and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bialystok pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Bialystok vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $310 per month, with Bialystok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Bialystok

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

22:26 10:26 PM

1 h ahead of Bialystok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,554

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

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

USD to PLN in detail →

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Bialystok Athens 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bialystok
Athens

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

Bialystok vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bialystok wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bialystok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Bialystok, 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: $541 in Bialystok versus $741 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bialystok – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,450 per month in Bialystok versus $1,775 in Athens – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,450 in Bialystok versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bialystok but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Bialystok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bialystok delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,450 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bialystok hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bialystok and Athens 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 Bialystok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.