Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeddah and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeddah: $1,394 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Athens, Greece
Jeddah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,394
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,779
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Jeddah versus $1,779 in Athens.

  • Jeddah $1,394
  • Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,161 in Jeddah versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Jeddah $2,161
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,928 in Jeddah versus $3,663 in Athens.

  • Jeddah $2,928
  • Athens $3,663

Living in Jeddah costs roughly 22% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jeddah 3% above, Athens 32% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jeddah
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.69 SAR 25.10
$16.83 €14.99
-60.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.2 SAR 286
$66.0 €58.8
15.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.56 SAR 35.88
$11.21 €9.98
-14.72%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 SAR 9.60
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 SAR 9.75
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.80 SAR 14.26
$4.08 €3.64
-6.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 SAR 3.87
$2.77 €2.47
-62.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 SAR 0.94
$0.54 €0.48
-53.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$5.70 €5.07
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.26 €5.58
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jeddah
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 SAR 6.53
$1.84 €1.64
-5.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.27 SAR 4.78
$1.43 €1.27
-11.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.29 SAR 8.59
$2.67 €2.38
-14.23%
Eggs
$2.47 SAR 9.26
$4.95 €4.41
-50.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.44 SAR 24.19
$15.09 €13.44
-57.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.32 SAR 31.23
$10.99 €9.79
-24.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.26 SAR 49.79
$19.77 €17.60
-32.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.08 SAR 7.80
$2.12 €1.89
-1.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 SAR 6.51
$1.98 €1.76
-12.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.56 SAR 5.84
$1.33 €1.18
17.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 SAR 6.24
$2.16 €1.92
-23.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.12 SAR 4.20
$1.06 €0.94
5.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.24 SAR 4.65
$1.15 €1.02
7.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 SAR 4.03
$1.08 €0.96
-0.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 SAR 1.88
$0.85 €0.75
-41.18%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.18 SAR 15.70
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 SAR 6.57
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 SAR 9.73
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.55 SAR 24.58
$5.46 €4.86
19.96%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$10.03 €8.93
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.04 €1.82
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.38 €2.12
-
🚌 Getting Around
Jeddah
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.90 SAR 3.38
$1.35 €1.20
-33.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.6 SAR 205
$30.52 €27.18
78.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.22 SAR 12.09
$3.81 €3.39
-15.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.68 SAR 6.30
$1.03 €0.92
63.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.37 SAR 53.9
$16.49 €14.68
-12.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.64 SAR 2.42
$2.34 €2.09
-72.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.7K SAR 141.6K
$27.8K €24.7K
35.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K SAR 82.7K
$26.6K €23.7K
-17.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jeddah
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.3 SAR 331
$202 €180
-56.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.71 SAR 145
$26.81 €23.87
44.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.5 SAR 257
$30.49 €27.14
124.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jeddah
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.9 SAR 262
$54.1 €48.14
29.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.61 SAR 141
$27.40 €24.40
37.26%
Cinema Ticket
$11.72 SAR 43.98
$10.44 €9.30
12.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jeddah
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$781 SAR 2,930
$568 €505
37.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.1K SAR 56.8K
$15.2K €13.5K
-0.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jeddah
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.5 SAR 280
$90.7 €80.7
-17.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.2 SAR 211
$39.32 €35.01
42.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.0 SAR 372
$105 €93.7
-5.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.3 SAR 347
$129 €115
-28.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jeddah
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 SAR 3,008
$742 €661
8.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$556 SAR 2,087
$648 €577
-14.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,329 SAR 4,987
$1,271 €1,132
4.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$864 SAR 3,244
$1,122 €999
-22.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,683 SAR 6,317
$3,999 €3,561
-57.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,119 SAR 4,201
$3,281 €2,921
-65.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jeddah
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,650 SAR 6,191
$1,245 €1,109
32.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.39
4.44
21.40%

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

Last update for Jeddah: 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
Jeddah
$556
Athens
$648 16.6% $92
Groceries & Markets
Jeddah
$201
Athens
$316 57.1% $115
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jeddah
$196
Athens
$260 32.7% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Jeddah
$145
Athens
$164 13.1% $19
Eating Out
Jeddah
$133
Athens
$272 104% $139
Sport & Entertainment
Jeddah
$93
Athens
$75 19.7% $18
Getting Around
Jeddah
$70
Athens
$45 35.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Jeddah and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeddah pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76 in Jeddah vs $66 in Athens. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $316, with Jeddah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Jeddah
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
09:18 9:18 AM
08:18 8:18 AM
1 h behind Jeddah
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,430,697
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jeddah Athens 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Jeddah
  • Athens

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Jeddah vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Jeddah or Athens?
Jeddah wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Jeddah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Jeddah or in Athens?
Average pay runs 32% higher in Jeddah, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Jeddah compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Jeddah versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Jeddah and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66 versus $76 in Jeddah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Jeddah compared to Athens?
All in, you’ll spend $1,394 per month in Jeddah versus $1,779 in Athens – Jeddah is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Jeddah or in Athens?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Jeddah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Jeddah or Athens?
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.

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