Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guarda and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Guarda: $1,281 a month against $1,771 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Guarda
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,281
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,281 in Guarda versus $1,771 in Athens.

  • Guarda $1,281
  • Athens $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,993 in Guarda versus $2,736 in Athens.

  • Guarda $1,993
  • Athens $2,736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,705 in Guarda versus $3,701 in Athens.

  • Guarda $2,705
  • Athens $3,701

Living in Guarda costs roughly 28% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guarda is 5% below, Athens is 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guarda
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.86 €11.44
$16.83 €14.97
-23.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.18 €40.19
$68.2 €60.7
-33.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.11 €9.89
$11.43 €10.17
-2.80%
Cappuccino
$1.70 €1.51
$4.06 €3.61
-58.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 €1.71
$2.74 €2.44
-29.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 €1.48
$0.53 €0.47
215.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.27 €2.02
$5.69 €5.06
-60.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.95 €3.52
$5.68 €5.06
-30.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guarda
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.98 €0.87
$1.85 €1.64
-47.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.67 €1.49
$1.44 €1.28
15.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.60 €1.42
$2.82 €2.51
-43.26%
Eggs
$3.79 €3.37
$4.86 €4.32
-22.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.34 €10.08
$15.27 €13.58
-25.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.99 €10.67
$10.36 €9.21
15.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.90 €21.25
$19.10 €16.99
25.13%
Apples (1kg)
$2.41 €2.14
$2.22 €1.98
8.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 €1.50
$1.92 €1.71
-11.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.11 €1.87
$1.41 €1.25
49.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 €2.08
$2.04 €1.82
14.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.34 €2.08
$1.05 €0.93
122.86%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.17 €1.04
98.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 €0.82
$1.08 €0.96
-14.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 €1.01
$0.84 €0.75
35.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.84 €6.08
$5.49 €4.89
24.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.13 €4.57
$10.17 €9.05
-49.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 €1.53
$2.13 €1.90
-19.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 €2.23
$2.28 €2.03
10.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Guarda
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.37 €1.22
23.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$29.71 €26.43
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 €4.41
$4.39 €3.90
12.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.00 €0.89
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.02 €15.14
$16.63 €14.79
2.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 €1.96
$2.38 €2.11
-7.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K €28.8K
$28.4K €25.3K
14.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$27.2K €24.2K
41.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guarda
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$190 €169
$203 €181
-6.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.68 €14.83
$26.79 €23.83
-37.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.92 €44.40
$30.16 €26.82
65.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guarda
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.1 €49.94
$53.7 €47.74
4.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$26.40 €23.48
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.92 €6.16
$10.59 €9.42
-34.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guarda
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$429 €382
$566 €504
-24.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.5K €12.0K
$12.9K €11.4K
4.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guarda
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.49 €29.79
$89.1 €79.3
-62.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.63 €20.13
$40.48 €36.01
-44.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$134 €119
$104 €92.3
29.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$165 €147
$124 €111
32.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guarda
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$398 €354
$729 €648
-45.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$284 €253
$647 €576
-56.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$736 €655
$1,328 €1,181
-44.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$561 €499
$1,169 €1,040
-52.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,364 €1,213
$4,024 €3,579
-66.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,483 €3,098
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guarda
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,240 €1,103
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.27
4.48
-27.01%

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

Last update for Guarda: October 18, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Guarda
$309
Athens
$312 1.2% $3.6
Accommodation & Living
Guarda
$284
Athens
$647 128% $363
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guarda
$256
Athens
$260 1.5% $3.9
Eating Out
Guarda
$190
Athens
$271 42.3% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Guarda
$160
Athens
$161 0.6% $1
Sport & Entertainment
Guarda
$70
Athens
$75 7% $4.9
Getting Around
Guarda
$12 *
Athens
$45 280% $33

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 $398 in Guarda and $729 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Guarda vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $312 per month, with Guarda cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Guarda
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
13:21 1:21 PM
15:21 3:21 PM
2 h ahead of Guarda
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
40,126
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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Guarda Athens 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Guarda
  • 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
Guarda vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Guarda or Athens?
Guarda wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guarda the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Guarda and in Athens?
You'd need roughly $1,922 in Guarda and $2,657 in Athens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Guarda compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $398 in Guarda versus $729 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Guarda and in Athens?
Childcare runs $429 in Guarda versus $566 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 Guarda and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Guarda – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Guarda or in Athens?
At $1,281 in Guarda versus $1,771 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guarda but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Guarda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Guarda or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Guarda delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,281 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guarda hard to pass up.
How safe is Guarda compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Guarda 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 Guarda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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