Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,398 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Cambridge

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,398

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,398 in Cambridge versus $1,775 in Athens.

Cambridge $2,398
Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,402 in Cambridge versus $2,721 in Athens.

Cambridge $3,402
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,406 in Cambridge versus $3,666 in Athens.

Cambridge $4,406
Athens $3,666

Living in Cambridge is roughly 35% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 78% above, Athens 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.45

$16.69 €14.84

3.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 CA$78.9

$67.8 €60.3

-17.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 CA$14.07

$11.14 €9.91

-10.59%

Cappuccino

$3.51 CA$4.96

$4.03 €3.58

-12.90%

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

$1.98 CA$2.79

$2.77 €2.46

-28.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 CA$1.86

$0.55 €0.49

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 CA$7.22

$5.74 €5.10

-10.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 CA$8.82

$5.45 €4.85

14.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$1.82 €1.62

13.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$1.38 €1.23

72.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.36

$2.80 €2.49

10.36%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.53

$4.83 €4.30

-33.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 CA$15.33

$15.05 €13.39

-27.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.02

$10.63 €9.45

6.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 CA$20.22

$18.43 €16.39

-22.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$2.20 €1.96

79.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.90 €1.69

-37.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.66

$1.37 €1.22

191.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.10 €1.87

75.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 CA$3.69

$1.08 €0.96

141.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.79

$1.12 €1.00

76.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 CA$2.88

$1.12 €1.00

82.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$2.00

$0.88 €0.79

60.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.82 CA$18.13

$5.48 €4.88

133.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 CA$17.25

$10.13 €9.01

20.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.13 €1.89

20.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 CA$5.44

$2.25 €2.00

71.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.44

$1.36 €1.21

79.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 CA$90.3

$29.89 €26.59

113.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 CA$3.42

$4.45 €3.96

-45.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 CA$2.52

$1.02 €0.90

74.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.60 CA$31.95

$16.92 €15.05

33.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$2.25 €2.00

-48.44%

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

$25.8K CA$36.5K

$28.0K €24.9K

-7.80%

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

$18.5K CA$26.2K

$28.2K €25.1K

-34.37%

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

$149 CA$211

$205 €182

-27.19%

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

$42.05 CA$59.5

$26.65 €23.71

57.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.52 CA$70.0

$30.38 €27.02

63.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.59 CA$40.42

$54.5 €48.47

-47.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 CA$14.53

$10.42 €9.27

-1.34%

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

$528 CA$746

$569 €506

-7.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.8K

$12.6K €11.2K

28.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$76.7

$88.7 €78.9

-38.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.82 CA$42.16

$40.46 €35.99

-26.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 CA$105

$105 €93.3

-29.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$121 €108

-14.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 CA$1,845

$741 €659

76.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 CA$1,837

$655 €582

98.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,509 CA$3,547

$1,300 €1,156

93.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 CA$2,812

$1,148 €1,021

73.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,236 CA$5,989

$4,014 €3,570

5.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,850 CA$5,443

$3,460 €3,078

11.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,938 CA$4,153

$1,242 €1,105

136.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

4.48

13.62%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge

$1.3K 54.2%

Athens

$655 36.9% 49.6% $645

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge

$345 14.4%

Athens

$310 17.5% 9.9% $34

Eating Out

Cambridge

$262 10.9%

Athens

$268 15.1% 2.5% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge

$241 10%

Athens

$262 14.7% 8.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge

$118 4.9%

Athens

$160 9% 35.9% $42

Getting Around

Cambridge

$85 3.5%

Athens

$45 2.5% 47.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge

$49 2.1%

Athens

$75 4.2% 53.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,305 in Cambridge and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 136% 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: $56.0 in Cambridge vs $68.0 in Athens. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $310, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Cambridge

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

23:59 11:59 PM

7 h ahead of Cambridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,479

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cambridge Athens 8,180 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge
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

Cambridge vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Cambridge. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 136% higher in Cambridge, 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: $1,305 in Cambridge versus $741 in Athens. 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 $68.0 versus $56.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,398 per month in Cambridge versus $1,775 in Athens – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,398 in Cambridge, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. 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 $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cambridge 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.