Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilion and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilion and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,504 in Ilion versus $1,740 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,273 in Ilion versus $2,669 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,041 in Ilion versus $3,598 in Athens.

Living in Ilion costs roughly 14% less than in Athens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilion 12% above, Athens 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 €11.97

$17.18 €14.65

-18.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 €47.43

$62.5 €53.3

-11.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.51 €7.26

$10.34 €8.82

-17.70%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.55

$4.36 €3.72

-4.59%

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

$1.61 €1.37

$2.41 €2.06

-33.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.50

$0.62 €0.53

-4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 €4.92

$5.94 €5.07

-2.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €4.97

$5.92 €5.05

-1.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.85 €1.57

-0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.41 €1.20

-5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.38

$2.91 €2.48

-4.12%

Eggs

$4.91 €4.18

$4.96 €4.23

-1.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 €11.80

$15.13 €12.91

-8.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.95 €9.34

$10.88 €9.28

0.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.12 €12.90

$15.17 €12.94

-0.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$2.29 €1.95

-2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.84

$2.17 €1.85

-0.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.58 €1.35

-4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.12

$2.28 €1.94

8.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.16

$1.38 €1.18

-0.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 €1.03

$1.17 €0.99

3.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.28 €1.09

-28.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.01 €0.87

11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.85

$5.50 €4.70

3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.46 €7.22

$11.20 €9.56

-24.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.72

$2.00 €1.71

1.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 €2.51

$2.98 €2.54

-1.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.40 €1.19

13.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 €39.86

$35.21 €30.04

32.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.53

$4.51 €3.85

-8.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.79 €10.06

$17.32 €14.78

-31.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.83

$2.06 €1.76

3.88%

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

$28.6K €24.4K

0.02%

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

$25.1K €21.4K

$30.4K €25.9K

-17.27%

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

$213 €181

$213 €182

-0.26%

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

$26.90 €22.94

$27.70 €23.63

-2.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.33 €27.57

$35.80 €30.53

-9.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.30 €41.20

$55.4 €47.22

-12.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.92 €22.11

$25.86 €22.06

0.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 €8.22

$10.25 €8.74

-6.05%

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

$510 €435

$552 €471

-7.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,424 €5,479

$11.1K €9,440

-41.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 €77.7

$93.6 €79.8

-2.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.60 €27.81

$47.79 €40.76

-31.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €85.7

$103 €87.4

-2.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €97.3

$121 €104

-6.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 €423

$640 €546

-22.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 €329

$569 €485

-32.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 €660

$1,166 €995

-33.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 €520

$1,018 €868

-40.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,800 €3,241

$4,244 €3,620

-10.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,102 €2,646

$3,498 €2,984

-11.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,346 €1,148

$1,370 €1,169

-1.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.99

-3.81%

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

Last update for Ilion: April 22, 2026

Last update for Athens: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $496 in Ilion and $640 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 2% 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 in Ilion vs $63 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $314 per month, with Ilion cheaper across the board.

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

Ilion vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilion wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ilion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Athens earns 2% less. 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: $496 in Ilion versus $640 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ilion – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $63.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,504 per month in Ilion versus $1,740 in Athens – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,504 in Ilion versus $1,740 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ilion but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Ilion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ilion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,504 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ilion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ilion 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 Ilion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.