Cost of Living Comparison Between Chios and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between Chios and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,446 in Chios versus $1,696 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,132 in Chios versus $2,642 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,818 in Chios versus $3,588 in Athens.

Living in Chios costs roughly 15% less than in Athens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chios 8% above, Athens 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 €9.98

$17.49 €15.05

-33.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 €47.01

$63.5 €54.7

-13.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.58

$10.62 €9.14

4.90%

Cappuccino

$3.90 €3.35

$4.34 €3.73

-10.14%

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

$2.58 €2.22

$2.49 €2.14

3.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.67 €0.58

17.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.55 €3.92

$5.90 €5.07

-22.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €3.89

$5.83 €5.01

-22.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.91 €1.65

-9.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.41 €1.21

4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.90 €2.49

-13.45%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.56

$5.08 €4.37

-18.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.41 €11.54

$14.66 €12.61

-8.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 €8.47

$11.32 €9.73

-12.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 €12.05

$15.08 €12.97

-7.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.31 €1.99

-6.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.17 €1.87

-2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.51 €1.30

-5.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.30 €1.97

-13.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 €1.05

$1.35 €1.16

-8.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.18 €1.01

5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.26 €1.09

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.65

$1.04 €0.90

-27.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.28 €4.54

$5.59 €4.81

-5.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 €5.91

$11.76 €10.11

-41.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.04 €1.76

-0.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.34

$2.90 €2.49

-6.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.41 €1.21

11.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.13 €40.54

$34.49 €29.67

36.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 €3.96

$4.62 €3.97

-0.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 €11.95

$17.33 €14.91

-19.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.85

$2.14 €1.84

0.93%

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

$31.5K €27.1K

$28.4K €24.5K

10.61%

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

$26.7K €22.9K

$30.4K €26.1K

-12.24%

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

$218 €187

$219 €188

-0.50%

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

$23.27 €20.02

$26.82 €23.07

-13.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.85 €28.26

$34.71 €29.86

-5.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.65 €40.99

$57.1 €49.09

-16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 €22.84

$26.57 €22.85

-0.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.78 €8.41

$10.33 €8.89

-5.32%

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

$419 €360

$552 €475

-24.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,026 €5,184

$11.3K €9,686

-46.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.3 €75.1

$92.7 €79.7

-5.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.43 €33.06

$47.61 €40.95

-19.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 €77.3

$100 €86.1

-10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €90.3

$121 €104

-13.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 €433

$660 €568

-23.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 €338

$582 €501

-32.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 €666

$1,182 €1,016

-34.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 €522

$1,029 €885

-41.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,144 €2,704

$4,114 €3,539

-23.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,717 €2,337

$3,388 €2,914

-19.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,342 €1,154

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

4.99

-11.22%

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

Last update for Chios: May 31, 2026

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Chios and $660 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Chios vs $64.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $317 per month, with Chios cheaper across the board.

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

Chios vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chios wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chios the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,169 in Chios and $2,544 in Athens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Chios versus $660 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chios – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,446 per month in Chios versus $1,696 in Athens – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,446 in Chios versus $1,696 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chios but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Chios the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chios delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,446 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chios hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chios 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 Chios gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.