Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Izmir and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Izmir: $1,218 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Izmir
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Izmir Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Izmir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,218

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,218 in Izmir versus $1,779 in Athens.

Izmir $1,218
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,900 in Izmir versus $2,721 in Athens.

Izmir $1,900
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,582 in Izmir versus $3,663 in Athens.

Izmir $2,582
Athens $3,663

Living in Izmir costs roughly 32% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Izmir is 10% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.89 ₺495

$16.83 €14.99

-41.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.57 ₺1,830

$66.0 €58.8

-44.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₺416

$11.21 €9.99

-25.87%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ₺185

$4.08 €3.64

-9.56%

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

$1.53 ₺76.4

$2.77 €2.47

-44.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₺31.70

$0.54 €0.48

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 ₺171

$5.70 €5.08

-40.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 ₺257

$6.26 €5.58

-18.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 ₺55.9

$1.84 €1.64

-39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ₺50.3

$1.43 €1.27

-29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₺113

$2.67 €2.38

-15.36%

Eggs

$2.50 ₺125

$4.95 €4.41

-49.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 ₺476

$15.09 €13.45

-36.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.08 ₺254

$10.99 €9.79

-53.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.81 ₺1,041

$19.77 €17.61

5.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₺99.4

$2.12 €1.89

-6.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ₺105

$1.98 €1.76

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₺51.0

$1.33 €1.19

-23.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ₺71.0

$2.16 €1.92

-34.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₺29.19

$1.06 €0.94

-45.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₺20.48

$1.15 €1.02

-64.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ₺52.7

$1.08 €0.97

-2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₺39.74

$0.85 €0.75

-7.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 ₺109

$5.46 €4.86

-59.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.04 ₺602

$10.03 €8.93

20.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₺99.9

$2.04 €1.82

-1.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₺156

$2.38 €2.12

31.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ₺36.19

$1.35 €1.20

-46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.39 ₺2,121

$30.52 €27.19

38.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ₺178

$3.81 €3.39

-6.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 ₺55.0

$1.03 €0.92

6.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 ₺243

$16.49 €14.68

-70.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₺70.5

$2.34 €2.09

-39.74%

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

$45.6K ₺2.3M

$27.8K €24.7K

64.09%

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

$45.3K ₺2.3M

$26.6K €23.7K

70.45%

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

$84.3 ₺4,218

$202 €180

-58.32%

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

$10.46 ₺524

$26.81 €23.88

-60.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.54 ₺778

$30.49 €27.16

-49.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 ₺3,388

$54.1 €48.17

25.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.07 ₺1,505

$27.40 €24.41

9.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 ₺412

$10.44 €9.30

-21.17%

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

$590 ₺29.5K

$568 €506

3.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.1K ₺1.4M

$15.2K €13.5K

78.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.81 ₺2,343

$90.7 €80.8

-48.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.08 ₺1,805

$39.32 €35.03

-8.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₺4,568

$105 €93.7

-13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 ₺3,973

$129 €115

-38.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₺29.7K

$742 €661

-20.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 ₺21.2K

$648 €578

-34.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 ₺57.2K

$1,271 €1,132

-10.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₺39.0K

$1,122 €999

-30.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,359 ₺68.0K

$3,999 €3,562

-66.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,015 ₺50.8K

$3,281 €2,923

-69.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,160 ₺58.0K

$1,245 €1,109

-6.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.22

4.44

828.38%

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

Last update for Izmir: November 1, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Izmir

$424 34.8%

Athens

$648 36.4% 53% $225

Groceries & Markets

Izmir

$247 20.3%

Athens

$316 17.8% 28.1% $69

Eating Out

Izmir

$184 15.1%

Athens

$272 15.3% 47.4% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Izmir

$114 9.4%

Athens

$164 9.2% 43.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Izmir

$110 9.1%

Athens

$260 14.6% 135% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Izmir

$84 6.9%

Athens

$75 4.2% 10.9% $9.2

Getting Around

Izmir

$54 4.5%

Athens

$45 2.5% 17.4% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $593 in Izmir and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 7% 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: $37 in Izmir vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $316 per month, with Izmir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Izmir

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

03:15 3:15 AM

1 h behind Izmir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,493,242

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

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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

Izmir vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Izmir wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Izmir the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Izmir. 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: $593 in Izmir versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Izmir – a meal for two runs $37 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,218 per month in Izmir versus $1,779 in Athens – Izmir is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Izmir is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

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