Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Groningen and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $2,285 in Groningen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Groningen
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Groningen Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Groningen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,285

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,285 in Groningen versus $1,806 in Athens.

Groningen $2,285
Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,459 in Groningen versus $2,731 in Athens.

Groningen $3,459
Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,632 in Groningen versus $3,656 in Athens.

Groningen $4,632
Athens $3,656

Living in Groningen is roughly 27% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Groningen 71% above, Athens 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 €18.20

$16.66 €14.87

22.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €90.9

$66.2 €59.1

53.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.01 €14.29

$11.06 €9.87

44.76%

Cappuccino

$4.57 €4.08

$4.14 €3.69

10.39%

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

$3.77 €3.37

$2.80 €2.50

34.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.80

$0.57 €0.51

450.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.06

$5.64 €5.03

0.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €5.04

$5.46 €4.87

3.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.96 €1.75

-27.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 €2.29

$1.41 €1.26

82.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.27

$2.83 €2.53

-10.25%

Eggs

$4.64 €4.14

$5.04 €4.50

-7.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.50 €11.16

$15.35 €13.70

-18.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.48 €12.03

$10.34 €9.23

30.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.02 €16.08

$18.97 €16.93

-5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 €2.70

$2.17 €1.93

39.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.91 €1.70

25.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 €2.26

$1.38 €1.23

83.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 €4.21

$2.20 €1.96

114.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.10 €0.98

85.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.13 €1.00

45.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.13

$1.10 €0.99

14.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$0.83 €0.74

54.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.70 €13.12

$5.60 €4.99

162.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.59 €5.88

$10.19 €9.09

-35.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.30

$2.18 €1.95

-33.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.45 €2.19

0.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.19 €3.74

$1.38 €1.23

203.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 €60.9

$30.87 €27.55

120.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.81 €6.08

$4.37 €3.90

55.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 €2.47

$1.04 €0.93

165.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.10 €25.97

$17.11 €15.27

70.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.31 €2.07

13.42%

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

$41.4K €37.0K

$28.0K €25.0K

47.99%

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

$38.8K €34.6K

$28.0K €25.0K

38.33%

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

$234 €209

$210 €187

11.41%

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

$20.80 €18.56

$26.70 €23.83

-22.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 €44.63

$30.13 €26.89

65.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.57 €35.31

$54.6 €48.72

-27.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 €13.18

$26.03 €23.23

-43.30%

Cinema Ticket

$16.89 €15.07

$10.78 €9.62

56.68%

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

$1,799 €1,606

$575 €513

212.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,677 €6,851

$13.1K €11.7K

-41.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.8

$93.2 €83.1

12.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 €39.60

$40.68 €36.30

9.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.3

$104 €92.9

-0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 €176

$128 €115

53.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 €1,169

$756 €674

73.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 €825

$652 €582

41.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 €1,760

$1,294 €1,154

52.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 €1,302

$1,163 €1,038

25.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,263 €4,697

$4,008 €3,577

31.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,970 €3,543

$3,452 €3,081

14.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,025 €2,700

$1,243 €1,110

143.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

4.48

-23.44%

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

Last update for Groningen: October 6, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Groningen

$925 40.4%

Athens

$652 36.5% 29.5% $272

Groceries & Markets

Groningen

$346 15.1%

Athens

$315 17.6% 9% $31

Eating Out

Groningen

$333 14.6%

Athens

$269 15% 19.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Groningen

$304 13.3%

Athens

$267 14.9% 12.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Groningen

$203 8.9%

Athens

$165 9.2% 18.7% $38

Getting Around

Groningen

$106 4.6%

Athens

$46 2.6% 56.5% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Groningen

$73 3.2%

Athens

$76 4.3% 3.8% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,310 in Groningen and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Groningen pays 143% 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: $102 in Groningen vs $66.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $315 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Groningen

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

08:03 8:03 AM

1 h ahead of Groningen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

201,242

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Groningen Athens 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Groningen
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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

Groningen vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Groningen. 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 143% higher in Groningen, 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: $1,310 in Groningen versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $102 in Groningen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,285 per month in Groningen versus $1,806 in Athens – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,806 in Athens versus $2,285 in Groningen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Groningen. 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 $1,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Groningen 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 27% less than in Groningen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.