Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cento and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Cento: $1,634 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Athens outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cento
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,634
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,634 in Cento versus $1,775 in Athens.

  • Cento $1,634
  • Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,647 in Cento versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Cento $2,647
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Cento versus $3,666 in Athens.

  • Cento $3,660
  • Athens $3,666

Living in Cento costs roughly 8% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cento 21% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cento
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.84 €17.65
$16.69 €14.84
18.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.8 €78.1
$67.8 €60.3
29.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 €11.74
$11.14 €9.91
18.49%
Cappuccino
$2.20 €1.96
$4.03 €3.58
-45.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €2.99
$2.77 €2.46
21.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 €1.38
$0.55 €0.49
181.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.10 €5.42
$5.74 €5.10
6.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 €4.95
$5.45 €4.85
2.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cento
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.82 €1.62
-25.27%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 €2.54
$1.38 €1.23
106.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 €2.29
$2.80 €2.49
-8.21%
Eggs
$3.89 €3.46
$4.83 €4.30
-19.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.10 €16.10
$15.05 €13.39
20.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.11 €10.77
$10.63 €9.45
13.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.33 €15.42
$18.43 €16.39
-5.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$2.20 €1.96
-1.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 €1.52
$1.90 €1.69
-10.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.88 €1.68
$1.37 €1.22
37.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 €2.20
$2.10 €1.87
17.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.32 €1.17
$1.08 €0.96
22.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.12 €1.00
21.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.12 €1.00
51.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 €0.50
$0.88 €0.79
-36.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.79 €6.04
$5.48 €4.88
23.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.02 €7.13
$10.13 €9.01
-20.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 €1.43
$2.13 €1.89
-24.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 €1.66
$2.25 €2.00
-16.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Cento
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.36 €1.21
21.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.56 €39.63
$29.89 €26.59
49.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.55 €4.05
$4.45 €3.96
2.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.02 €0.90
39.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.64 €24.59
$16.92 €15.05
63.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 €1.81
$2.25 €2.00
-9.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K €32.7K
$28.0K €24.9K
31.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.6K €31.7K
$28.2K €25.1K
26.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cento
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$234 €208
$205 €182
14.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.00 €9.78
$26.65 €23.71
-58.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.90 €24.82
$30.38 €27.02
-8.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cento
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.9 €50.6
$54.5 €48.47
4.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.47 €20.87
$25.88 €23.02
-9.31%
Cinema Ticket
$9.89 €8.80
$10.42 €9.27
-5.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cento
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$547 €487
$569 €506
-3.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,422 €3,933
$12.6K €11.2K
-64.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cento
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.6 €78.8
$88.7 €78.9
-0.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.28 €37.61
$40.46 €35.99
4.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.9 €85.3
$105 €93.3
-8.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 €134
$121 €108
23.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cento
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$533 €474
$741 €659
-28.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$443 €394
$655 €582
-32.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 €932
$1,300 €1,156
-19.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$918 €817
$1,148 €1,021
-19.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,197 €2,844
$4,014 €3,570
-20.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,863 €1,657
$3,460 €3,078
-46.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cento
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,766 €1,571
$1,242 €1,105
42.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
4.48
-28.79%

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

Last update for Cento: 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
Cento
$443
Athens
$655 47.9% $212
Groceries & Markets
Cento
$324
Athens
$310 4.1% $13
Eating Out
Cento
$286
Athens
$268 6.2% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cento
$273
Athens
$262 4% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Cento
$170
Athens
$160 5.8% $9.8
Sport & Entertainment
Cento
$77
Athens
$75 1.7% $1.3
Getting Around
Cento
$63
Athens
$45 28.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $533 in Cento and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Cento vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $310 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Cento
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
14:02 2:02 PM
15:02 3:02 PM
1 h ahead of Cento
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
35,582
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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cento Athens 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cento
  • 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
Cento vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cento or Athens?
Cento wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cento the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Cento or in Athens?
Average pay runs 42% higher in Cento, 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 Cento compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $533 in Cento versus $741 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Cento and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Cento – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Cento compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $1,634 per month in Cento versus $1,775 in Athens – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Cento or in Athens?
At $1,634 in Cento versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cento but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Cento the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cento or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Cento delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,634 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cento hard to pass up.
How safe is Cento compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Cento 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 Cento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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