Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubrovnik and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $1,979 in Dubrovnik, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dubrovnik outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Dubrovnik
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,979
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,979 in Dubrovnik versus $1,775 in Athens.

  • Dubrovnik $1,979
  • Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,933 in Dubrovnik versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Dubrovnik $2,933
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,886 in Dubrovnik versus $3,666 in Athens.

  • Dubrovnik $3,886
  • Athens $3,666

Living in Dubrovnik is roughly 12% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubrovnik 47% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubrovnik
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.49 €17.34
$16.69 €14.84
16.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.3 €68.8
$67.8 €60.3
14.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.71 €11.30
$11.14 €9.91
14.09%
Cappuccino
$4.21 €3.74
$4.03 €3.58
4.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.50 €4.01
$2.77 €2.46
62.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 €3.99
$0.55 €0.49
716.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.45 €4.85
$5.74 €5.10
-5.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.98 €7.10
$5.45 €4.85
46.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubrovnik
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.82 €1.62
-40.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 €1.07
$1.38 €1.23
-12.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.30 €2.05
$2.80 €2.49
-17.86%
Eggs
$4.18 €3.72
$4.83 €4.30
-13.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.90 €8.81
$15.05 €13.39
-34.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.97
$10.63 €9.45
-15.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.60 €8.54
$18.43 €16.39
-47.91%
Apples (1kg)
$1.77 €1.58
$2.20 €1.96
-19.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.90 €1.69
-28.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.37 €1.22
24.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.74 €2.44
$2.10 €1.87
30.48%
Potato (1kg)
$0.86 €0.77
$1.08 €0.96
-20.37%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 €0.81
$1.12 €1.00
-18.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.12 €1.00
-1.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 €1.11
$0.88 €0.79
42.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.36 €4.76
$5.48 €4.88
-2.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.41 €3.92
$10.13 €9.01
-56.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 €1.18
$2.13 €1.89
-38.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 €2.56
$2.25 €2.00
28.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubrovnik
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.83 €2.51
$1.36 €1.21
108.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.6 €48.53
$29.89 €26.59
82.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.41 €3.92
$4.45 €3.96
-0.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.22 €1.08
$1.02 €0.90
19.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.40 €6.58
$16.92 €15.05
-56.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.60
$2.25 €2.00
-20.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.9K €23.0K
$28.0K €24.9K
-7.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K €22.7K
$28.2K €25.1K
-9.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubrovnik
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 €158
$205 €182
-13.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.58 €20.09
$26.65 €23.71
-15.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.34 €37.66
$30.38 €27.02
39.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubrovnik
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.1 €62.4
$54.5 €48.47
28.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.39 €20.81
$25.88 €23.02
-9.62%
Cinema Ticket
$8.00 €7.12
$10.42 €9.27
-23.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubrovnik
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$90.6 €80.6
$569 €506
-84.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,922 €6,157
$12.6K €11.2K
-45.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubrovnik
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.3 €65.2
$88.7 €78.9
-17.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.46 €24.43
$40.46 €35.99
-32.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.3 €58.9
$105 €93.3
-36.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 €69.7
$121 €108
-35.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubrovnik
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,442 €1,283
$741 €659
94.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 €806
$655 €582
38.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,964 €1,747
$1,300 €1,156
51.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,442 €1,283
$1,148 €1,021
25.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,912 €7,038
$4,014 €3,570
97.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,158 €3,698
$3,460 €3,078
20.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubrovnik
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,437 €1,279
$1,242 €1,105
15.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.79
4.48
-15.40%

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

Last update for Dubrovnik: October 11, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dubrovnik
$906
Athens
$655 27.7% $251
Eating Out
Dubrovnik
$324
Athens
$268 17.2% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubrovnik
$242
Athens
$262 7.9% $19
Groceries & Markets
Dubrovnik
$235
Athens
$310 32.3% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Dubrovnik
$110
Athens
$160 44.8% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Dubrovnik
$86
Athens
$75 12.5% $11
Getting Around
Dubrovnik
$76
Athens
$45 41.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,442 in Dubrovnik and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubrovnik pays 16% 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: $77.0 in Dubrovnik vs $68.0 in Athens. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $310, with Dubrovnik cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Dubrovnik
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
20:06 8:06 PM
21:06 9:06 PM
1 h ahead of Dubrovnik
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
41,562
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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubrovnik Athens 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dubrovnik
  • 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
Dubrovnik vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Dubrovnik or Athens?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Dubrovnik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Dubrovnik or in Athens?
Average pay runs 16% higher in Dubrovnik, 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 Dubrovnik compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,442 in Dubrovnik 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 Dubrovnik and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $77.0 in Dubrovnik. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Dubrovnik compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $1,979 per month in Dubrovnik versus $1,775 in Athens – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Dubrovnik or in Athens?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $1,979 in Dubrovnik, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Dubrovnik. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Dubrovnik or Athens?
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.
How safe is Dubrovnik compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Dubrovnik 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Dubrovnik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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