Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makarska and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Makarska: $1,586 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Makarska
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Makarska Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Makarska

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,586

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,586 in Makarska versus $1,775 in Athens.

Makarska $1,586
Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,463 in Makarska versus $2,721 in Athens.

Makarska $2,463
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Makarska versus $3,666 in Athens.

Makarska $3,339
Athens $3,666

Living in Makarska costs roughly 11% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Makarska 17% above, Athens 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.52

$16.69 €14.84

4.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 €70.3

$67.8 €60.3

16.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 €7.02

$11.14 €9.91

-29.17%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.97

$4.03 €3.58

-17.12%

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

$4.00 €3.56

$2.77 €2.46

44.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.73

$0.55 €0.49

456.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.02

$5.74 €5.10

-1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €4.04

$5.45 €4.85

-16.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.82 €1.62

-37.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.38 €1.23

23.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$2.80 €2.49

9.64%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.35

$4.83 €4.30

1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 €13.63

$15.05 €13.39

1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.45

$10.63 €9.45

-10.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 €10.43

$18.43 €16.39

-36.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$2.20 €1.96

-10.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.90 €1.69

-20.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.37 €1.22

53.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$2.10 €1.87

27.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.97

$1.08 €0.96

105.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.12 €1.00

79.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.12 €1.00

36.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.88 €0.79

85.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 €4.94

$5.48 €4.88

1.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 €6.80

$10.13 €9.01

-24.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.13 €1.89

-35.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.32

$2.25 €2.00

-33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.36 €1.21

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.51 €35.14

$29.89 €26.59

32.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 €2.75

$4.45 €3.96

-30.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.02 €0.90

40.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.02 €10.69

$16.92 €15.05

-28.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.49

$2.25 €2.00

-25.78%

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

$25.9K €23.1K

$28.0K €24.9K

-7.54%

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

$24.9K €22.2K

$28.2K €25.1K

-11.69%

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

$177 €158

$205 €182

-13.29%

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

$27.30 €24.28

$26.65 €23.71

2.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.91 €38.17

$30.38 €27.02

41.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.14 €41.04

$54.5 €48.47

-15.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.43 €14.61

$25.88 €23.02

-36.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 €7.99

$10.42 €9.27

-13.82%

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

$413 €368

$569 €506

-27.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,923 €6,158

$12.6K €11.2K

-44.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.0

$88.7 €78.9

-1.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.07 €40.09

$40.46 €35.99

11.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.5

$105 €93.3

0.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 €70.4

$121 €108

-34.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 €616

$741 €659

-6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 €459

$655 €582

-21.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$1,300 €1,156

-7.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$877 €780

$1,148 €1,021

-23.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,594 €3,197

$4,014 €3,570

-10.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,232 €2,875

$3,460 €3,078

-6.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

4.48

-16.96%

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

Last update for Makarska: October 11, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makarska

$516 32.5%

Athens

$655 36.9% 26.8% $138

Groceries & Markets

Makarska

$291 18.3%

Athens

$310 17.5% 6.7% $20

Eating Out

Makarska

$269 17%

Athens

$268 15.1% 0.3% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makarska

$248 15.6%

Athens

$262 14.7% 5.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Makarska

$143 9%

Athens

$160 9% 12.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Makarska

$64 4%

Athens

$75 4.2% 17.5% $11

Getting Around

Makarska

$56 3.5%

Athens

$45 2.5% 19.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Makarska and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Makarska vs $68.0 in Athens. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $310, with Makarska cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Makarska

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

17:57 5:57 PM

18:57 6:57 PM

1 h ahead of Makarska

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,809

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Makarska Athens 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Makarska
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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

Makarska vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makarska wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makarska the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,379 in Makarska and $2,662 in Athens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $692 in Makarska versus $741 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Makarska – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,586 per month in Makarska versus $1,775 in Athens – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,586 in Makarska versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Makarska but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Makarska the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makarska delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,586 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makarska hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makarska 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.

Expats usually find Makarska gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.