Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kefalonia and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Kefalonia: $1,571 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Kefalonia
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Kefalonia Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Kefalonia

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,571

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,571 in Kefalonia versus $1,759 in Athens.

Kefalonia $1,571
Athens $1,759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,339 in Kefalonia versus $2,696 in Athens.

Kefalonia $2,339
Athens $2,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,108 in Kefalonia versus $3,632 in Athens.

Kefalonia $3,108
Athens $3,632

Living in Kefalonia costs roughly 11% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kefalonia 15% above, Athens 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.00 €13.45

$17.05 €15.29

-12.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.51 €34.54

$65.8 €59.1

-41.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 €9.11

$10.96 €9.83

-7.30%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.77

$4.10 €3.68

-24.63%

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

$3.34 €3.00

$2.83 €2.54

18.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.54

$0.59 €0.53

1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.81 €4.31

$5.62 €5.05

-14.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 €4.77

$5.67 €5.08

-6.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.90 €1.70

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.46 €1.31

9.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.71 €2.43

-16.97%

Eggs

$4.68 €4.20

$5.04 €4.52

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 €11.73

$15.08 €13.53

-13.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 €8.93

$10.28 €9.22

-3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.96 €13.42

$19.40 €17.40

-22.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.12 €1.90

-7.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$1.91 €1.71

-4.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.41 €1.26

12.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.89

$2.13 €1.91

-1.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.04 €0.94

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.13 €1.02

-1.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.13 €1.01

7.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 €4.76

$5.52 €4.95

-3.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 €6.01

$9.99 €8.96

-33.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.23

$2.04 €1.83

22.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 €2.28

$2.28 €2.05

11.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.31 €1.18

-7.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.36 €43.37

$30.67 €27.51

57.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 €3.41

$4.37 €3.92

-13.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 €0.89

$1.03 €0.92

-3.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.47 €14.78

$17.05 €15.29

-3.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.79

$2.34 €2.10

-14.53%

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

$27.5K €24.6K

$28.3K €25.3K

-2.74%

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

$25.5K €22.8K

$26.8K €24.0K

-4.84%

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

$284 €255

$200 €179

42.20%

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

$23.46 €21.04

$25.17 €22.58

-6.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.53 €27.39

$29.65 €26.60

2.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 €45.26

$50.4 €45.24

0.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.65 €22.11

$25.94 €23.27

-4.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.78 €7.87

$10.52 €9.44

-16.54%

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

$443 €397

$576 €517

-23.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K €9,041

$12.9K €11.6K

-22.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €80.9

$89.7 €80.4

0.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.74 €31.16

$39.57 €35.50

-12.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 €84.4

$105 €94.6

-10.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €110

$124 €111

-1.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 €484

$740 €664

-27.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 €385

$643 €577

-33.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 €987

$1,305 €1,170

-15.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$787 €706

$1,121 €1,005

-29.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,621 €2,351

$4,011 €3,598

-34.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,814 €1,627

$3,284 €2,946

-44.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,111 €997

$1,224 €1,098

-9.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Kefalonia: October 25, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kefalonia

$429 27.3%

Athens

$643 36.5% 49.7% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kefalonia

$338 21.5%

Athens

$255 14.5% 24.7% $84

Groceries & Markets

Kefalonia

$282 18%

Athens

$312 17.7% 10.6% $30

Eating Out

Kefalonia

$238 15.1%

Athens

$272 15.4% 14.2% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Kefalonia

$154 9.8%

Athens

$161 9.2% 5.1% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kefalonia

$68 4.3%

Athens

$71 4.1% 5.1% $3.5

Getting Around

Kefalonia

$62 3.9%

Athens

$45 2.6% 26.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $539 in Kefalonia and $740 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 10% 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: $39 in Kefalonia vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $312 per month, with Kefalonia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Kefalonia

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

Same time as Kefalonia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,404

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Kefalonia vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kefalonia wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kefalonia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Kefalonia. 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: $539 in Kefalonia versus $740 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kefalonia – a meal for two runs $39 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,571 per month in Kefalonia versus $1,759 in Athens – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Kefalonia 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, Kefalonia and Athens are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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