Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bursa and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Bursa: $1,130 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Bursa
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Bursa Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Bursa

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,130

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bursa 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 Bursa and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,130 in Bursa versus $1,779 in Athens.

Bursa $1,130
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,739 in Bursa versus $2,721 in Athens.

Bursa $1,739
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,348 in Bursa versus $3,663 in Athens.

Bursa $2,348
Athens $3,663

Living in Bursa costs roughly 36% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bursa is 16% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.59 ₺430

$16.83 €14.99

-48.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.67 ₺1,635

$66.0 €58.8

-50.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 ₺389

$11.21 €9.99

-30.69%

Cappuccino

$3.80 ₺190

$4.08 €3.64

-6.86%

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

$1.04 ₺52.1

$2.77 €2.47

-62.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₺18.61

$0.54 €0.48

-31.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 ₺123

$5.70 €5.08

-56.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₺146

$6.26 €5.58

-53.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 ₺50.0

$1.84 €1.64

-45.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₺40.02

$1.43 €1.27

-44.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 ₺116

$2.67 €2.38

-13.11%

Eggs

$2.58 ₺129

$4.95 €4.41

-47.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 ₺530

$15.09 €13.45

-29.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 ₺245

$10.99 €9.79

-55.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 ₺993

$19.77 €17.61

0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 ₺88.7

$2.12 €1.89

-16.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.98 €1.76

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₺51.0

$1.33 €1.19

-23.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ₺62.8

$2.16 €1.92

-42.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 ₺28.76

$1.06 €0.94

-46.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₺19.18

$1.15 €1.02

-66.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ₺41.83

$1.08 €0.97

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₺36.06

$0.85 €0.75

-15.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 ₺102

$5.46 €4.86

-62.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 ₺703

$10.03 €8.93

40.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₺101

$2.04 €1.82

-1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₺118

$2.38 €2.12

-1.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺41.49

$1.35 €1.20

-38.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 ₺2,506

$30.52 €27.19

64.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 ₺65.6

$3.81 €3.39

-65.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ₺54.1

$1.03 €0.92

4.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 ₺438

$16.49 €14.68

-46.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₺69.8

$2.34 €2.09

-40.60%

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

$47.5K ₺2.4M

$27.8K €24.7K

70.99%

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

$40.2K ₺2.0M

$26.6K €23.7K

51.18%

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

$74.9 ₺3,750

$202 €180

-62.95%

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

$10.93 ₺547

$26.81 €23.88

-59.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.67 ₺734

$30.49 €27.16

-51.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 ₺3,522

$54.1 €48.17

30.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.51 ₺1,076

$27.40 €24.41

-21.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ₺296

$10.44 €9.30

-43.30%

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

$593 ₺29.7K

$568 €506

4.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₺542.1K

$15.2K €13.5K

-28.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.49 ₺2,327

$90.7 €80.8

-48.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 ₺2,127

$39.32 €35.03

8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 ₺3,984

$105 €93.7

-24.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.8 ₺4,843

$129 €115

-24.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 ₺19.9K

$742 €661

-46.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₺18.3K

$648 €578

-43.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 ₺38.0K

$1,271 €1,132

-40.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₺31.2K

$1,122 €999

-44.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,207 ₺60.4K

$3,999 €3,562

-69.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,228 ₺61.4K

$3,281 €2,923

-62.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,024 ₺51.2K

$1,245 €1,109

-17.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.67

4.44

861.04%

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

Last update for Bursa: October 31, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bursa

$366 32.4%

Athens

$648 36.4% 77.3% $283

Groceries & Markets

Bursa

$241 21.3%

Athens

$316 17.8% 31.2% $75

Eating Out

Bursa

$161 14.3%

Athens

$272 15.3% 68.3% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Bursa

$119 10.6%

Athens

$164 9.2% 37.2% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bursa

$101 8.9%

Athens

$260 14.6% 158% $159

Sport & Entertainment

Bursa

$82 7.3%

Athens

$75 4.2% 8.9% $7.3

Getting Around

Bursa

$60 5.3%

Athens

$45 2.5% 25.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Bursa and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 22% 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: $33 in Bursa vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $316 per month, with Bursa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Bursa

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

1 h behind Bursa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,238,618

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bursa Athens 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bursa
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

Bursa vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bursa wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bursa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Bursa. 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: $398 in Bursa versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bursa – a meal for two runs $33 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,130 per month in Bursa versus $1,779 in Athens – Bursa is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,130 in Bursa versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Bursa wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.