Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ioannina and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Ioannina: $1,391 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ioannina
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Ioannina Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Ioannina

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,391

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,391 in Ioannina versus $1,759 in Athens.

Ioannina $1,391
Athens $1,759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,114 in Ioannina versus $2,696 in Athens.

Ioannina $2,114
Athens $2,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,836 in Ioannina versus $3,632 in Athens.

Ioannina $2,836
Athens $3,632

Living in Ioannina costs roughly 21% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ioannina 2% above, Athens 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.24

$17.05 €15.27

-0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.11 €29.66

$65.8 €59.0

-49.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 €9.83

$10.96 €9.81

0.09%

Cappuccino

$4.00 €3.58

$4.10 €3.68

-2.44%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$2.83 €2.54

2.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.59 €0.53

-6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 €3.93

$5.62 €5.04

-22.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.08

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.90 €1.70

-7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.46 €1.31

-21.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 €3.43

$2.71 €2.42

41.33%

Eggs

$3.55 €3.18

$5.04 €4.52

-29.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 €9.73

$15.08 €13.50

-27.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 €8.30

$10.28 €9.20

-9.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 €10.95

$19.40 €17.37

-36.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.12 €1.90

13.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.83

$1.91 €1.71

6.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.41 €1.26

-14.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.39

$2.13 €1.91

24.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.04 €0.94

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 €0.91

$1.13 €1.01

-9.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.92

$1.13 €1.01

-9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

$0.81 €0.73

4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 €5.11

$5.52 €4.94

3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.83 €6.11

$9.99 €8.95

-31.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.04 €1.82

-2.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 €2.93

$2.28 €2.04

43.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.31 €1.17

12.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.2 €45.86

$30.67 €27.47

66.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 €3.85

$4.37 €3.91

-1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.03 €0.92

5.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.06

$17.05 €15.27

-60.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.89

$2.34 €2.10

-9.83%

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

$27.6K €24.7K

$28.3K €25.3K

-2.48%

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

$27.0K €24.2K

$26.8K €24.0K

0.84%

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

$214 €191

$200 €179

6.94%

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

$23.07 €20.67

$25.17 €22.55

-8.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.06 €26.02

$29.65 €26.56

-1.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.05 €40.35

$50.4 €45.17

-10.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.58 €40.82

$25.94 €23.23

75.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 €7.79

$10.52 €9.43

-17.40%

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

$329 €295

$576 €516

-42.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,829 €7,907

$12.9K €11.6K

-31.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 €59.2

$89.7 €80.3

-26.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €41.11

$39.57 €35.44

16.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 €68.9

$105 €94.4

-27.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €116

$124 €111

4.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 €414

$740 €663

-37.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 €289

$643 €576

-49.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$688 €616

$1,305 €1,169

-47.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 €541

$1,121 €1,004

-46.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,397 €2,146

$4,011 €3,593

-40.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,975 €1,769

$3,284 €2,941

-39.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 €969

$1,224 €1,096

-11.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.73

4.48

5.58%

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

Last update for Ioannina: October 24, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ioannina

$323 23.2%

Athens

$643 36.5% 99.2% $320

Groceries & Markets

Ioannina

$266 19.1%

Athens

$312 17.7% 17.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ioannina

$266 19.1%

Athens

$255 14.5% 4.2% $11

Eating Out

Ioannina

$264 19%

Athens

$272 15.4% 2.9% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Ioannina

$143 10.3%

Athens

$161 9.2% 12.8% $18

Getting Around

Ioannina

$67 4.8%

Athens

$45 2.6% 32% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ioannina

$62 4.5%

Athens

$71 4.1% 14.5% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $462 in Ioannina and $740 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 13% 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: $33 in Ioannina vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $312 per month, with Ioannina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Ioannina

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

22:19 10:19 PM

Same time as Ioannina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,061

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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ioannina vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ioannina wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ioannina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Ioannina. 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: $462 in Ioannina versus $740 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ioannina – a meal for two runs $33 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,391 per month in Ioannina versus $1,759 in Athens – Ioannina is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ioannina gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ioannina and Athens are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ioannina wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.