Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Heraklion: $1,594 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Heraklion
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Heraklion Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Heraklion

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,594

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Heraklion versus $1,775 in Athens.

Heraklion $1,594
Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,499 in Heraklion versus $2,721 in Athens.

Heraklion $2,499
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,403 in Heraklion versus $3,666 in Athens.

Heraklion $3,403
Athens $3,666

Living in Heraklion costs roughly 10% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heraklion 18% above, Athens 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 €11.47

$16.69 €14.84

-22.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 €49.86

$67.8 €60.3

-17.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 €8.82

$11.14 €9.91

-10.95%

Cappuccino

$3.83 €3.41

$4.03 €3.58

-4.96%

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

$2.44 €2.17

$2.77 €2.46

-11.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.70

$0.55 €0.49

43.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 €4.82

$5.74 €5.10

-5.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 €4.69

$5.45 €4.85

-3.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.82 €1.62

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.38 €1.23

2.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.29

$2.80 €2.49

-7.86%

Eggs

$4.46 €3.97

$4.83 €4.30

-7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.15

$15.05 €13.39

5.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.54 €9.38

$10.63 €9.45

-0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.14 €13.46

$18.43 €16.39

-17.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.20 €1.96

-1.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.90 €1.69

12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.10 €1.87

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.08 €0.96

13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.12 €1.00

9.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 €0.83

$1.12 €1.00

-16.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.64

$0.88 €0.79

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 €4.39

$5.48 €4.88

-9.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 €6.76

$10.13 €9.01

-24.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.08

$2.13 €1.89

9.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.54

$2.25 €2.00

27.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.36 €1.21

7.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.6 €60.1

$29.89 €26.59

126.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.89

$4.45 €3.96

-1.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.02 €0.90

10.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.14 €9.91

$16.92 €15.05

-34.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.25 €2.00

-4.00%

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

$27.3K €24.3K

$28.0K €24.9K

-2.51%

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

$24.0K €21.3K

$28.2K €25.1K

-15.04%

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

$194 €173

$205 €182

-5.02%

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

$30.65 €27.26

$26.65 €23.71

15.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.76 €34.48

$30.38 €27.02

27.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.10 €43.68

$54.5 €48.47

-9.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.52 €35.15

$25.88 €23.02

52.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 €7.77

$10.42 €9.27

-16.12%

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

$409 €364

$569 €506

-28.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,997 €3,555

$12.6K €11.2K

-68.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €80.1

$88.7 €78.9

1.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.03 €37.39

$40.46 €35.99

3.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 €75.8

$105 €93.3

-18.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$121 €108

11.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 €569

$741 €659

-13.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 €443

$655 €582

-23.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €969

$1,300 €1,156

-16.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 €878

$1,148 €1,021

-14.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,043 €3,597

$4,014 €3,570

0.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,746 €2,442

$3,460 €3,078

-20.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,128 €1,004

$1,242 €1,105

-9.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

4.48

-0.89%

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

Last update for Heraklion: 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

Heraklion

$498 31.2%

Athens

$655 36.9% 31.4% $156

Groceries & Markets

Heraklion

$294 18.4%

Athens

$310 17.5% 5.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Heraklion

$264 16.5%

Athens

$262 14.7% 0.8% $2.1

Eating Out

Heraklion

$229 14.4%

Athens

$268 15.1% 16.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Heraklion

$159 10%

Athens

$160 9% 0.6% $1

Getting Around

Heraklion

$83 5.2%

Athens

$45 2.5% 46.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Heraklion

$67 4.2%

Athens

$75 4.2% 13.2% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Heraklion and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 10% 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: $56.0 in Heraklion vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $310 per month, with Heraklion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Heraklion

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

15:23 3:23 PM

Same time as Heraklion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,730

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Heraklion vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heraklion wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Heraklion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Athens. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $640 in Heraklion versus $741 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Heraklion – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,594 per month in Heraklion versus $1,775 in Athens – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,594 in Heraklion versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Heraklion but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Heraklion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Heraklion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,594 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Heraklion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Heraklion 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 Heraklion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.