Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malatya and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Malatya: $687 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Malatya, Turkey
Athens, Greece
Malatya
🇹🇷 Turkey
$687
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,779
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $687 in Malatya versus $1,779 in Athens.

  • Malatya $687
  • Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,058 in Malatya versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Malatya $1,058
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,429 in Malatya versus $3,663 in Athens.

  • Malatya $1,429
  • Athens $3,663

Living in Malatya costs roughly 61% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Malatya is 49% below, Athens is 32% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malatya
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.74 ₺238
$16.83 €14.99
-71.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.59 ₺1,484
$66.0 €58.8
-55.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.27 ₺365
$11.21 €9.98
-35.15%
Cappuccino
$1.56 ₺78.3
$4.08 €3.64
-61.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ₺46.48
$2.77 €2.47
-66.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 ₺15.85
$0.54 €0.48
-40.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.21 ₺111
$5.70 €5.07
-61.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 ₺176
$6.26 €5.58
-43.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malatya
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.79 ₺39.58
$1.84 €1.64
-57.07%
White Bread (500g)
$0.76 ₺38.30
$1.43 €1.27
-46.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.68 ₺134
$2.67 €2.38
0.37%
Eggs
$1.73 ₺86.6
$4.95 €4.41
-65.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.15 ₺409
$15.09 €13.44
-45.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.28 ₺114
$10.99 €9.79
-79.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.99 ₺802
$19.77 €17.60
-19.12%
Apples (1kg)
$1.61 ₺80.8
$2.12 €1.89
-24.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 ₺78.4
$1.98 €1.76
-21.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.79 ₺39.46
$1.33 €1.18
-40.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.74 ₺37.14
$2.16 €1.92
-65.74%
Potato (1kg)
$0.39 ₺19.75
$1.06 €0.94
-63.21%
Onion (1kg)
$0.37 ₺18.67
$1.15 €1.02
-67.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.51 ₺25.79
$1.08 €0.96
-52.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ₺23.95
$0.85 €0.75
-43.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.94 ₺97.3
$5.46 €4.86
-64.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.94 ₺599
$10.03 €8.93
19.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 ₺92.5
$2.04 €1.82
-9.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 ₺107
$2.38 €2.12
-10.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Malatya
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.35 €1.20
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$30.52 €27.18
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.73 ₺36.83
$3.81 €3.39
-80.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.69 ₺34.60
$1.03 €0.92
-33.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.49 €14.68
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ₺66.6
$2.34 €2.09
-43.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.2K ₺2.0M
$27.8K €24.7K
44.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K ₺2.0M
$26.6K €23.7K
52.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malatya
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$30.18 ₺1,514
$202 €180
-85.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.13 ₺508
$26.81 €23.87
-62.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.05 ₺705
$30.49 €27.14
-53.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malatya
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.41 ₺1,776
$54.1 €48.14
-34.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$27.40 €24.40
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 ₺262
$10.44 €9.30
-49.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malatya
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$568 €505
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$15.2K €13.5K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malatya
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$15.02 ₺753
$90.7 €80.7
-83.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$71.1 ₺3,568
$39.32 €35.01
80.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$50.1 ₺2,512
$105 €93.7
-52.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$29.91 ₺1,500
$129 €115
-76.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malatya
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$332 ₺16.6K
$742 €661
-55.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$217 ₺10.9K
$648 €577
-66.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$466 ₺23.4K
$1,271 €1,132
-63.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$326 ₺16.4K
$1,122 €999
-70.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,999 €3,561
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,281 €2,921
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malatya
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,105 ₺55.4K
$1,245 €1,109
-11.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
43
4.44
868.47%

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

Last update for Malatya: November 2, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Malatya
$217
Athens
$648 198% $431
Groceries & Markets
Malatya
$188
Athens
$316 67.9% $128
Eating Out
Malatya
$102
Athens
$272 167% $170
Clothing & Footwear
Malatya
$75
Athens
$164 119% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malatya
$54
Athens
$260 377% $205
Sport & Entertainment
Malatya
$46
Athens
$75 63.4% $29
Getting Around
Malatya
$4.2 *
Athens
$45 974% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $332 in Malatya and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 13% 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: $30 in Malatya vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $316 per month, with Malatya cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Malatya
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
03:50 3:50 AM
02:50 2:50 AM
1 h behind Malatya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
781,305
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Malatya Athens 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Malatya
  • 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
Malatya vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Malatya or Athens?
Malatya wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Malatya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Malatya or in Athens?
On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Malatya. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Malatya compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $332 in Malatya versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Malatya compared to Athens?
All in, you’ll spend $687 per month in Malatya versus $1,779 in Athens – Malatya is about 61% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Are groceries more expensive in Malatya or in Athens?
Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Malatya or in Athens?
At $687 in Malatya versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Malatya but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Malatya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Malatya 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.
Should I move to Malatya or to Athens?
It comes down to priorities – Malatya wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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