Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaganda and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $927 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$927

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Karaganda versus $1,779 in Athens.

Karaganda $927
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,497 in Karaganda versus $2,721 in Athens.

Karaganda $1,497
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,066 in Karaganda versus $3,663 in Athens.

Karaganda $2,066
Athens $3,663

Living in Karaganda costs roughly 48% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Karaganda is 31% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.89 ₸4,459

$16.83 €14.99

-41.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.32 ₸15.9K

$66.0 €58.8

-46.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 ₸2,440

$11.21 €9.98

-51.74%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ₸844

$4.08 €3.64

-54.17%

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

$0.86 ₸388

$2.77 €2.47

-68.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₸274

$0.54 €0.48

12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 ₸594

$5.70 €5.07

-76.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₸1,308

$6.26 €5.58

-53.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ₸579

$1.84 €1.64

-30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₸221

$1.43 €1.27

-65.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ₸591

$2.67 €2.38

-50.94%

Eggs

$1.79 ₸806

$4.95 €4.41

-63.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.39 ₸6,039

$15.09 €13.44

-11.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 ₸2,503

$10.99 €9.79

-49.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 ₸4,985

$19.77 €17.60

-44.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 ₸682

$2.12 €1.89

-28.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 ₸863

$1.98 €1.76

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,294

$1.33 €1.18

115.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 ₸979

$2.16 €1.92

0.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ₸276

$1.06 €0.94

-42.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸263

$1.15 €1.02

-49.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₸460

$1.08 €0.96

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₸315

$0.85 €0.75

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 ₸1,011

$5.46 €4.86

-58.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ₸3,785

$10.03 €8.93

-16.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸608

$2.04 €1.82

-33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₸950

$2.38 €2.12

-11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₸94.5

$1.35 €1.20

-84.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.38 ₸6,936

$30.52 €27.18

-49.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ₸562

$3.81 €3.39

-67.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 ₸558

$1.03 €0.92

20.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 ₸1,519

$16.49 €14.68

-79.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 ₸254

$2.34 €2.09

-76.07%

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

$21.8K ₸9.8M

$27.8K €24.7K

-21.34%

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

$32.4K ₸14.6M

$26.6K €23.7K

21.65%

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

$72.2 ₸32.6K

$202 €180

-64.28%

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

$10.09 ₸4,547

$26.81 €23.87

-62.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.06 ₸5,436

$30.49 €27.14

-60.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.75 ₸20.2K

$54.1 €48.14

-17.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.55 ₸8,362

$27.40 €24.40

-32.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 ₸2,349

$10.44 €9.30

-50.10%

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

$132 ₸59.6K

$568 €505

-76.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 ₸27.1K

$90.7 €80.7

-33.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 ₸26.7K

$39.32 €35.01

50.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 ₸35.2K

$105 €93.7

-25.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.3 ₸38.9K

$129 €115

-33.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 ₸182.9K

$742 €661

-45.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₸123.7K

$648 €577

-57.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 ₸322.1K

$1,271 €1,132

-43.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 ₸245.3K

$1,122 €999

-51.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,054 ₸475.0K

$3,999 €3,561

-73.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$698 ₸314.5K

$3,281 €2,921

-78.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$569 ₸256.6K

$1,245 €1,109

-54.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

4.44

333.56%

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

Last update for Karaganda: 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

Karaganda

$274 29.6%

Athens

$648 36.4% 136% $374

Groceries & Markets

Karaganda

$216 23.3%

Athens

$316 17.8% 46.5% $100

Eating Out

Karaganda

$136 14.7%

Athens

$272 15.3% 99.5% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Karaganda

$128 13.8%

Athens

$164 9.2% 28.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karaganda

$94 10.2%

Athens

$260 14.6% 175% $165

Sport & Entertainment

Karaganda

$55 6%

Athens

$75 4.2% 35.9% $20

Getting Around

Karaganda

$24 2.6%

Athens

$45 2.5% 89.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $406 in Karaganda and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Karaganda vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $316 per month, with Karaganda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

05:45 5:45 AM

3 h behind Karaganda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,486

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

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

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karaganda Athens 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karaganda
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

Karaganda vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karaganda wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Karaganda the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Karaganda. 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: $406 in Karaganda versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Karaganda – a meal for two runs $35 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $927 per month in Karaganda versus $1,779 in Athens – Karaganda is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $927 in Karaganda versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Karaganda but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Karaganda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Karaganda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.