Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellensburg, WA and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellensburg, WA and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,851 in Ellensburg, WA versus $1,733 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,939 in Ellensburg, WA versus $2,632 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,028 in Ellensburg, WA versus $3,532 in Athens.

Living in Ellensburg, WA is roughly 7% more expensive than in Athens, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ellensburg, WA 39% above, Athens 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 $15.29

$17.31 €15.16

-11.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$64.0 €56.1

57.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 $12.02

$10.54 €9.23

14.04%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$4.35 €3.81

19.77%

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

$1.47 $1.47

$2.39 €2.10

-38.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.63 €0.55

101.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$5.74 €5.03

-14.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$5.77 €5.06

37.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.92 €1.68

-44.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.40 €1.23

92.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.79 €2.45

74.19%

Eggs

$4.30 $4.30

$5.11 €4.47

-15.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$14.68 €12.86

3.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$11.18 €9.80

-39.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$14.98 €13.12

-6.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.23 €1.95

69.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.12 €1.86

-46.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$1.50 €1.31

190.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.30 €2.02

78.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.36 €1.19

9.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.23 €1.07

82.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.26 €1.10

56.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.01 €0.88

68.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.12 $8.12

$5.74 €5.03

41.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 $15.73

$10.44 €9.15

50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.00 €1.75

48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.97 €2.60

-16.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.35 €1.18

51.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.07 €29.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$4.72 €4.14

-44.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.07 €0.94

60.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.35 $30.35

$17.66 €15.47

71.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.03 €1.78

-49.26%

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

$32.3K $32.3K

$29.0K €25.4K

11.37%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$29.4K €25.8K

-11.23%

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

$127 $127

$217 €190

-41.25%

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

$40.11 $40.11

$26.99 €23.65

48.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$34.93 €30.61

100.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.35 $25.35

$55.2 €48.38

-54.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.52 €23.23

Cinema Ticket

$16.17 $16.17

$10.50 €9.20

54.00%

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

$2,287 $2,287

$551 €483

314.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K $29.4K

$11.0K €9,680

166.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.31 $44.31

$92.8 €81.3

-52.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 $35.46

$47.71 €41.80

-25.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 $93.1

$101 €88.2

-7.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$119 €105

-1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 $963

$648 €568

48.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$797 $797

$566 €496

40.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 $1,871

$1,192 €1,044

56.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 $1,506

$1,029 €901

46.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,442 $4,442

$3,920 €3,434

13.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,513 $4,513

$3,291 €2,883

37.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,802 $1,802

$1,320 €1,156

36.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

4.99

28.66%

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

Last update for Ellensburg, WA: July 20, 2026

Last update for Athens: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Ellensburg, WA and $648 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ellensburg, WA pays 37% 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: $101 in Ellensburg, WA vs $64.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $312 per month, with Athens 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

Ellensburg, WA vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Ellensburg, WA. 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 37% higher in Ellensburg, WA, 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: $963 in Ellensburg, WA versus $648 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,287 in Ellensburg, WA versus $551 in Athens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $101 in Ellensburg, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,733 in Athens versus $1,851 in Ellensburg, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Ellensburg, WA. 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 $1,733 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ellensburg, WA 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 7% less than in Ellensburg, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.