Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cagliari and Athens

For one person, living costs are similar in Cagliari and in Athens: $1,739 and $1,806 a month, rent and utilities included.

Cagliari
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,739
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,739 in Cagliari versus $1,806 in Athens.

  • Cagliari $1,739
  • Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,723 in Cagliari versus $2,731 in Athens.

  • Cagliari $2,723
  • Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Cagliari versus $3,656 in Athens.

  • Cagliari $3,708
  • Athens $3,656

Living in Cagliari costs roughly 4% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cagliari 30% above, Athens 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cagliari
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.38 €19.97
$16.66 €14.87
34.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.5 €76.3
$66.2 €59.1
29.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 €10.20
$11.06 €9.87
3.35%
Cappuccino
$2.09 €1.87
$4.14 €3.69
-49.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 €2.89
$2.80 €2.50
15.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 €1.32
$0.57 €0.51
159.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.59 €4.99
$5.64 €5.03
-0.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.57 €4.08
$5.46 €4.87
-16.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cagliari
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.61 €1.44
$1.96 €1.75
-17.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.71 €2.41
$1.41 €1.26
92.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.85 €2.55
$2.83 €2.53
0.71%
Eggs
$3.63 €3.24
$5.04 €4.50
-27.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.24 €18.96
$15.35 €13.70
38.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.23 €10.92
$10.34 €9.23
18.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.89 €20.43
$18.97 €16.93
20.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$2.17 €1.93
19.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.91 €1.70
-6.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.38 €1.23
67.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.47 €3.10
$2.20 €1.96
57.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.10 €0.98
69.09%
Onion (1kg)
$2.25 €2.01
$1.13 €1.00
99.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.10 €0.99
36.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$0.83 €0.74
-31.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.40 €6.60
$5.60 €4.99
32.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.05 €7.18
$10.19 €9.09
-21.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 €1.48
$2.18 €1.95
-23.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 €1.58
$2.45 €2.19
-28.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Cagliari
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.38 €1.23
5.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.66 €34.50
$30.87 €27.55
25.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.72 €8.67
$4.37 €3.90
122.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 €1.33
$1.04 €0.93
44.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.00 €27.67
$17.11 €15.27
81.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 €1.85
$2.31 €2.07
-9.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K €32.3K
$28.0K €25.0K
29.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.0K €32.1K
$28.0K €25.0K
28.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cagliari
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$159 €142
$210 €187
-24.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.86 €7.91
$26.70 €23.83
-66.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.95 €26.73
$30.13 €26.89
-0.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cagliari
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.1 €45.56
$54.6 €48.72
-6.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.08 €21.49
$26.03 €23.23
-7.49%
Cinema Ticket
$11.04 €9.85
$10.78 €9.62
2.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cagliari
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$522 €466
$575 €513
-9.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,938 €7,083
$13.1K €11.7K
-39.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cagliari
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.6 €85.3
$93.2 €83.1
2.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.63 €38.04
$40.68 €36.30
4.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.7 €81.8
$104 €92.9
-11.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 €104
$128 €115
-8.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cagliari
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$861 €768
$756 €674
13.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$621 €554
$652 €582
-4.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,389 €1,240
$1,294 €1,154
7.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,013 €904
$1,163 €1,038
-12.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,234 €2,886
$4,008 €3,577
-19.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,373 €2,117
$3,452 €3,081
-31.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cagliari
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,815 €1,620
$1,243 €1,110
46.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.27
4.48
-27.01%

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

Last update for Cagliari: October 5, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cagliari
$621
Athens
$652 5.1% $32
Groceries & Markets
Cagliari
$364
Athens
$315 13.5% $49
Eating Out
Cagliari
$294
Athens
$269 8.7% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cagliari
$198
Athens
$267 34.9% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Cagliari
$156
Athens
$165 5.6% $8.7
Sport & Entertainment
Cagliari
$73
Athens
$76 4.1% $3
Getting Around
Cagliari
$62
Athens
$46 25.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $861 in Cagliari and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cagliari pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Cagliari vs $66.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $315 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Cagliari
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
04:27 4:27 AM
05:27 5:27 AM
1 h ahead of Cagliari
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
154,478
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Cagliari Athens 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cagliari
  • 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
Cagliari vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cagliari or Athens?
Cagliari wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cagliari the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Cagliari or in Athens?
Average pay runs 46% higher in Cagliari, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Cagliari compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $861 in Cagliari versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Cagliari and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Cagliari – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $66.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Cagliari compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $1,739 per month in Cagliari versus $1,806 in Athens – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Cagliari or in Athens?
At $1,739 in Cagliari versus $1,806 in Athens, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cagliari but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Cagliari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cagliari or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Cagliari delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cagliari hard to pass up.
How safe is Cagliari compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Cagliari 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Cagliari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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