Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Greece Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Greece

Name: Greece
Address: GR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,796 in Italy versus $1,498 in Greece.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,739 in Italy versus $2,289 in Greece.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Italy versus $3,079 in Greece.

Living in Italy is roughly 20% more expensive than in Greece on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 30% above, Greece 9% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,152 to $2,626, compared to $1,103–$2,198 in Greece. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.31

$17.42 €15.02

21.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.7

$58.2 €50.2

38.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.84

$11.69 €10.08

-2.40%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$4.05 €3.49

-48.64%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$2.55 €2.20

19.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.66 €0.57

109.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.99

$5.93 €5.11

-2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.96

$5.87 €5.06

-2.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.73 €1.49

-1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$1.46 €1.26

65.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$2.76 €2.38

9.06%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$4.61 €3.97

-6.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.45

$14.33 €12.35

25.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.92

$10.67 €9.20

18.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.73

$15.68 €13.52

31.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.27 €1.95

15.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.09 €1.80

2.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$1.52 €1.31

84.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$2.16 €1.86

53.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.19 €1.03

76.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.18 €1.02

60.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.09 €0.94

42.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.93 €0.80

-39.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.17

$5.57 €4.80

28.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.33

$9.52 €8.21

-22.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.00 €1.72

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$2.88 €2.49

-16.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.35 €1.16

42.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.00

$34.44 €29.69

31.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

$4.78 €4.12

20.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.13 €0.97

50.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.38

$17.29 €14.90

103.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.18 €1.88

-6.42%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$29.3K €25.3K

27.93%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$28.1K €24.3K

31.68%

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

$231 €199

$229 €198

0.72%

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

$12.34 €10.64

$26.03 €22.44

-52.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.87

$32.25 €27.80

-3.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.62

$49.90 €43.01

10.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.47

$24.17 €20.84

3.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.59

$9.94 €8.57

11.97%

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

$568 €490

$471 €406

20.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$10.4K €8,922

21.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.1

$90.0 €77.6

3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.32

$40.74 €35.12

-2.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

$96.2 €82.9

8.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$124 €107

9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €734

$561 €484

51.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$453 €390

42.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,249

$952 €820

52.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €935

$766 €661

41.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,287

$3,237 €2,790

17.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,032

$2,492 €2,148

-5.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,666

$1,153 €994

67.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

4.53

-21.19%

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

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for Greece: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $755 in Italy, $527 in Greece. Capital cities: $1,247 in Rome vs $739 in Athens.

National salary averages: $1,964 in Italy, $1,113 in Greece. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 43% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 36% more in Italy.

Salaries are 76% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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

Italy vs Greece: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,651 per month in Greece and $1,889 in Italy, there's a 14% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Greece: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Greece across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Greece, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Greece wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.