Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Florence and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $2,395 in Florence, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Florence
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,395
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,395 in Florence versus $1,806 in Athens.

  • Florence $2,395
  • Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,671 in Florence versus $2,731 in Athens.

  • Florence $3,671
  • Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,947 in Florence versus $3,656 in Athens.

  • Florence $4,947
  • Athens $3,656

Living in Florence is roughly 33% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Florence 79% above, Athens 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Florence
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.37 €24.43
$16.66 €14.87
64.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.3 €69.0
$66.2 €59.1
16.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.54 €12.98
$11.06 €9.87
31.46%
Cappuccino
$2.29 €2.04
$4.14 €3.69
-44.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 €2.85
$2.80 €2.50
14.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 €1.29
$0.57 €0.51
152.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.64 €5.92
$5.64 €5.03
17.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.99 €7.13
$5.46 €4.87
46.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Florence
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 €1.72
$1.96 €1.75
-2.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 €2.28
$1.41 €1.26
80.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.90 €2.59
$2.83 €2.53
2.47%
Eggs
$4.82 €4.30
$5.04 €4.50
-4.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.17 €23.36
$15.35 €13.70
70.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.23 €10.92
$10.34 €9.23
18.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.48 €22.74
$18.97 €16.93
34.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 €2.62
$2.17 €1.93
35.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.63 €2.35
$1.91 €1.70
37.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 €2.99
$1.38 €1.23
142.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.32 €2.96
$2.20 €1.96
50.91%
Potato (1kg)
$2.23 €1.99
$1.10 €0.98
102.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.13 €1.00
64.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.10 €0.99
71.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 €0.63
$0.83 €0.74
-15.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.47 €6.66
$5.60 €4.99
33.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 €6.99
$10.19 €9.09
-23.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.00 €1.78
$2.18 €1.95
-8.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 €2.79
$2.45 €2.19
27.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Florence
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.07 €1.85
$1.38 €1.23
50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.27 €38.62
$30.87 €27.55
40.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.78 €3.37
$4.37 €3.90
-13.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.04 €0.93
21.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.89 €27.56
$17.11 €15.27
80.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.86
$2.31 €2.07
-9.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.9K €32.1K
$28.0K €25.0K
28.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.3K €31.5K
$28.0K €25.0K
25.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Florence
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$247 €220
$210 €187
17.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 €10.34
$26.70 €23.83
-56.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.90 €30.25
$30.13 €26.89
12.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Florence
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.4 €57.5
$54.6 €48.72
17.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.77 €18.54
$26.03 €23.23
-20.21%
Cinema Ticket
$13.02 €11.62
$10.78 €9.62
20.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Florence
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$745 €665
$575 €513
29.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.0K €15.2K
$13.1K €11.7K
29.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Florence
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.5 €86.1
$93.2 €83.1
3.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.82 €34.65
$40.68 €36.30
-4.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.4
$104 €92.9
3.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 €131
$128 €115
14.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Florence
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,570 €1,401
$756 €674
107.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,043 €931
$652 €582
59.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,766 €2,469
$1,294 €1,154
113.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,833 €1,635
$1,163 €1,038
57.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,288 €5,612
$4,008 €3,577
56.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,951 €3,526
$3,452 €3,081
14.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Florence
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,005 €1,789
$1,243 €1,110
61.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.16
4.48
-29.46%

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

Last update for Florence: October 4, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Florence
$1K
Athens
$652 37.5% $391
Groceries & Markets
Florence
$411
Athens
$315 23.3% $96
Eating Out
Florence
$358
Athens
$269 24.9% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Florence
$292
Athens
$267 8.7% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Florence
$175
Athens
$165 6% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Florence
$90
Athens
$76 15.8% $14
Getting Around
Florence
$62
Athens
$46 25.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,570 in Florence and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Florence pays 61% 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 Florence vs $66.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $315 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Florence
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
05:49 5:49 AM
06:49 6:49 AM
1 h ahead of Florence
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
382,808
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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Florence Athens 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Florence
  • 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
Florence vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Florence or Athens?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Florence. 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 Florence or in Athens?
Average pay runs 61% higher in Florence, 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 Florence compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,570 in Florence versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Florence and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $77.0 in Florence. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Florence compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $2,395 per month in Florence versus $1,806 in Athens – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Florence or in Athens?
At $1,806 in Athens versus $2,395 in Florence, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Florence. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Florence or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Florence compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Florence 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 33% less than in Florence. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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