Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geraardsbergen and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,028 in Geraardsbergen, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Geraardsbergen
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,028
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,028 in Geraardsbergen versus $1,775 in Athens.

  • Geraardsbergen $2,028
  • Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,942 in Geraardsbergen versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Geraardsbergen $2,942
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,856 in Geraardsbergen versus $3,666 in Athens.

  • Geraardsbergen $3,856
  • Athens $3,666

Living in Geraardsbergen is roughly 14% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Geraardsbergen 50% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Geraardsbergen
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.02 €19.59
$16.69 €14.84
31.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.2 €63.3
$67.8 €60.3
5.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.19 €7.28
$11.14 €9.91
-26.48%
Cappuccino
$4.42 €3.93
$4.03 €3.58
9.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.77 €2.46
-18.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$0.55 €0.49
309.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 €2.71
$5.74 €5.10
-46.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 €2.92
$5.45 €4.85
-39.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Geraardsbergen
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.82 €1.62
-24.73%
White Bread (500g)
$2.70 €2.40
$1.38 €1.23
95.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.14 €1.90
$2.80 €2.49
-23.57%
Eggs
$3.60 €3.20
$4.83 €4.30
-25.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.84 €14.98
$15.05 €13.39
11.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.68 €10.39
$10.63 €9.45
9.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.94 €20.40
$18.43 €16.39
24.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 €2.58
$2.20 €1.96
31.82%
Banana (1kg)
$2.40 €2.13
$1.90 €1.69
26.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 €2.29
$1.37 €1.22
87.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 €2.90
$2.10 €1.87
55.24%
Potato (1kg)
$2.48 €2.21
$1.08 €0.96
129.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.12 €1.00
73.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.12 €1.00
30.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 €0.90
$0.88 €0.79
14.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.00 €11.57
$5.48 €4.88
137.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.02 €8.02
$10.13 €9.01
-10.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 €1.52
$2.13 €1.89
-19.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.78
$2.25 €2.00
-10.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Geraardsbergen
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.13 €2.79
$1.36 €1.21
130.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$29.89 €26.59
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.53 €4.92
$4.45 €3.96
24.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.71 €2.41
$1.02 €0.90
165.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.61 €21.89
$16.92 €15.05
45.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.25 €2.00
-8.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K €31.4K
$28.0K €24.9K
26.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.5K €27.1K
$28.2K €25.1K
7.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Geraardsbergen
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 €121
$205 €182
-33.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.11 €17.00
$26.65 €23.71
-28.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.58 €35.21
$30.38 €27.02
30.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Geraardsbergen
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.96 €31.10
$54.5 €48.47
-35.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 €18.04
$25.88 €23.02
-21.64%
Cinema Ticket
$15.26 €13.58
$10.42 €9.27
46.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Geraardsbergen
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,597 €1,421
$569 €506
180.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$32.8K €29.2K
$12.6K €11.2K
161.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Geraardsbergen
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 €98.0
$88.7 €78.9
24.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.2 €45.56
$40.46 €35.99
26.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 €89.3
$105 €93.3
-4.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$169 €151
$121 €108
39.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Geraardsbergen
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$912 €811
$741 €659
23.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$892 €793
$655 €582
36.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,410 €1,254
$1,300 €1,156
8.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,184 €1,053
$1,148 €1,021
3.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,071
$4,014 €3,570
14.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,290 €2,927
$3,460 €3,078
-4.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Geraardsbergen
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,445 €2,175
$1,242 €1,105
96.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
4.48
-24.11%

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

Last update for Geraardsbergen: 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
Geraardsbergen
$892
Athens
$655 26.6% $237
Groceries & Markets
Geraardsbergen
$357
Athens
$310 13% $46
Eating Out
Geraardsbergen
$294
Athens
$268 8.7% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Geraardsbergen
$194
Athens
$262 34.7% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Geraardsbergen
$194
Athens
$160 17.6% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Geraardsbergen
$65
Athens
$75 15% $9.8
Getting Around
Geraardsbergen
$32 *
Athens
$45 41.9% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $912 in Geraardsbergen and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Geraardsbergen pays 97% 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: $71.0 in Geraardsbergen vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $310 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Geraardsbergen
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
02:01 2:01 AM
03:01 3:01 AM
1 h ahead of Geraardsbergen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
33,204
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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Geraardsbergen Athens 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Geraardsbergen
  • 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
Geraardsbergen vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Geraardsbergen or Athens?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Geraardsbergen. 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 Geraardsbergen or in Athens?
Average pay runs 97% higher in Geraardsbergen, 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 Geraardsbergen compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $912 in Geraardsbergen versus $741 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Geraardsbergen and in Athens?
Childcare runs $1,597 in Geraardsbergen versus $569 in Athens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Geraardsbergen and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $71.0 in Geraardsbergen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Geraardsbergen or in Athens?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,028 in Geraardsbergen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Geraardsbergen. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Geraardsbergen 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 Geraardsbergen compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Geraardsbergen 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 14% less than in Geraardsbergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Geraardsbergen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?