Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chios and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Chios: $1,445 a month against $1,771 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chios
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,445
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,445 in Chios versus $1,771 in Athens.

  • Chios $1,445
  • Athens $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,157 in Chios versus $2,736 in Athens.

  • Chios $2,157
  • Athens $2,736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,868 in Chios versus $3,701 in Athens.

  • Chios $2,868
  • Athens $3,701

Living in Chios costs roughly 18% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chios 7% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chios
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.18 €12.61
$16.83 €14.97
-15.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.61 €39.68
$68.2 €60.7
-34.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.71 €12.19
$11.43 €10.17
19.95%
Cappuccino
$3.64 €3.24
$4.06 €3.61
-10.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 €2.17
$2.74 €2.44
-10.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.96 €0.86
$0.53 €0.47
81.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.39 €3.91
$5.69 €5.06
-22.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 €3.95
$5.68 €5.06
-21.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chios
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.85 €1.64
-16.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.44 €1.28
-4.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.66 €2.36
$2.82 €2.51
-5.67%
Eggs
$4.75 €4.22
$4.86 €4.32
-2.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.50 €12.01
$15.27 €13.58
-11.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.49 €8.44
$10.36 €9.21
-8.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.35 €12.76
$19.10 €16.99
-24.87%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$2.22 €1.98
-2.25%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$1.92 €1.71
5.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.41 €1.25
-2.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$2.04 €1.82
-2.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 €1.01
$1.05 €0.93
7.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.17 €1.04
-0.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.08 €0.96
-2.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 €0.76
$0.84 €0.75
1.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.46 €4.85
$5.49 €4.89
-0.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.86 €6.10
$10.17 €9.05
-32.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 €1.76
$2.13 €1.90
-7.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 €2.32
$2.28 €2.03
14.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Chios
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.37 €1.22
-5.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.15 €40.16
$29.71 €26.43
51.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.30 €3.82
$4.39 €3.90
-2.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 €1.01
$1.00 €0.89
13.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.04 €14.26
$16.63 €14.79
-3.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 €1.93
$2.38 €2.11
-8.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K €24.5K
$28.4K €25.3K
-3.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K €22.4K
$27.2K €24.2K
-7.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chios
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 €179
$203 €181
-0.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.34 €20.76
$26.79 €23.83
-12.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.50 €27.13
$30.16 €26.82
1.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chios
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €45.77
$53.7 €47.74
-4.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.90 €22.15
$26.40 €23.48
-5.68%
Cinema Ticket
$9.01 €8.01
$10.59 €9.42
-14.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chios
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$426 €379
$566 €504
-24.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,589 €6,750
$12.9K €11.4K
-40.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chios
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.3 €80.3
$89.1 €79.3
1.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.86 €35.45
$40.48 €36.01
-1.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.3 €79.4
$104 €92.3
-13.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$124 €111
-4.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chios
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$489 €435
$729 €648
-32.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$388 €345
$647 €576
-40.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$758 €674
$1,328 €1,181
-42.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$605 €538
$1,169 €1,040
-48.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,645 €2,352
$4,024 €3,579
-34.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,230 €1,984
$3,483 €3,098
-35.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chios
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,240 €1,103
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.46
4.48
-0.45%

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

Last update for Chios: October 19, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chios
$388
Athens
$647 67% $260
Groceries & Markets
Chios
$277
Athens
$312 12.6% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chios
$255
Athens
$260 1.9% $4.9
Eating Out
Chios
$243
Athens
$271 11.5% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Chios
$152
Athens
$161 5.7% $8.6
Sport & Entertainment
Chios
$69
Athens
$75 7.8% $5.4
Getting Around
Chios
$60
Athens
$45 26.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $489 in Chios and $729 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Chios vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $312 per month, with Chios cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Chios
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
18:15 6:15 PM
18:15 6:15 PM
Same time as Chios
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
53,408
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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chios Athens 210 km
From you
  • Chios
  • 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
Chios vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chios or Athens?
Chios wins on cost – living expenses run 23% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chios and in Athens?
You'd need roughly $2,168 in Chios and $2,657 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Chios compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $489 in Chios versus $729 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Chios and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Chios – a meal for two runs $45.00 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 Chios compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $1,445 per month in Chios versus $1,771 in Athens – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Chios or in Athens?
At $1,445 in Chios versus $1,771 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chios or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Chios delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,445 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chios hard to pass up.
How safe is Chios compared to Athens?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Chios gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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