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: $1,717 in Italy versus $1,459 in Greece.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $2,194 in Greece.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $2,929 in Greece.

Living in Italy is roughly 18% more expensive than Greece on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 28% above, Greece 9% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $1,141–$2,090 in Greece. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.00

$17.44 €15.01

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.4

$58.5 €50.3

35.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.11

$10.58 €9.10

11.15%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$4.08 €3.51

-50.98%

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

$3.00 €2.58

$2.42 €2.08

23.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.62 €0.53

117.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$5.80 €4.99

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

$5.65 €4.86

-5.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.70 €1.47

-3.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.40 €1.20

72.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.58

$2.56 €2.21

16.80%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$4.65 €4.00

-14.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$13.78 €11.85

22.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.69

$10.91 €9.39

13.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.46

$14.32 €12.32

41.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.18 €1.88

13.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.02 €1.74

6.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.48 €1.27

79.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$2.19 €1.88

55.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.33 €1.14

44.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.24 €1.07

45.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.11 €0.95

39.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$0.93 €0.80

-41.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.84

$5.35 €4.60

26.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$9.09 €7.82

-21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.02 €1.74

-10.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.93 €2.52

-17.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.36 €1.17

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.43

$34.04 €29.28

24.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.11

$4.73 €4.07

25.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.06 €0.91

42.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.28

$17.03 €14.65

99.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.10 €1.81

-2.38%

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

$32.8K €28.2K

$29.7K €25.6K

10.49%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$29.1K €25.0K

15.68%

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

$225 €194

$220 €189

2.50%

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

$13.25 €11.40

$24.31 €20.91

-45.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.62

$34.22 €29.44

-9.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €47.95

$49.48 €42.56

12.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.63

$24.74 €21.29

1.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.82

$9.68 €8.33

5.89%

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

$576 €495

$464 €399

24.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €8,998

$9,761 €8,396

7.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.0

$88.4 €76.0

3.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.03

$41.88 €36.03

-2.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €84.3

$93.5 €80.4

4.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €112

$118 €101

11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$544 €468

58.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €573

$440 €379

51.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,269

$920 €791

60.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €935

$742 €638

46.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,312

$3,270 €2,813

17.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,440 €2,099

-3.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,663

$1,206 €1,037

60.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

4.61

-4.34%

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

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Last update for Greece: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $496 in Greece. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $660 in Athens.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $1,116 in Greece. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 50% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 40% more in Italy.

Salaries are 75% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,616 per month in Greece and $1,839 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.

Greece is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.