Cost of Living Comparison Between Melissia and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between Melissia and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,554 in Melissia versus $1,696 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Melissia versus $2,642 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,074 in Melissia versus $3,588 in Athens.

Living in Melissia costs roughly 8% less than in Athens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melissia 16% above, Athens 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 €11.60

$17.49 €15.05

-22.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.9 €50.6

$63.5 €54.7

-7.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 €8.18

$10.62 €9.14

-10.45%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.59

$4.34 €3.73

-3.92%

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

$1.62 €1.40

$2.49 €2.14

-34.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.67 €0.58

-16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 €5.09

$5.90 €5.07

0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 €4.96

$5.83 €5.01

-1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.91 €1.65

-3.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.41 €1.21

7.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.90 €2.49

-3.10%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.21

$5.08 €4.37

-3.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.03 €12.06

$14.66 €12.61

-4.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 €9.07

$11.32 €9.73

-6.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 €12.77

$15.08 €12.97

-1.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.31 €1.99

-3.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.17 €1.87

-10.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.51 €1.30

-28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.30 €1.97

-16.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.35 €1.16

0.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.18 €1.01

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 €0.85

$1.26 €1.09

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.04 €0.90

0.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.61 €4.83

$5.59 €4.81

0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 €9.09

$11.76 €10.11

-10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.04 €1.76

2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.10

$2.90 €2.49

-15.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.41 €1.21

12.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.41 €39.06

$34.49 €29.67

31.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 €3.94

$4.62 €3.97

-0.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.57 €11.67

$17.33 €14.91

-21.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.14 €1.84

1.87%

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

$28.8K €24.8K

$28.4K €24.5K

1.35%

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

$29.0K €24.9K

$30.4K €26.1K

-4.65%

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

$299 €257

$219 €188

36.76%

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

$24.10 €20.73

$26.82 €23.07

-10.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.81

$34.71 €29.86

-10.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.63

$57.1 €49.09

-15.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.42 €22.73

$26.57 €22.85

-0.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 €8.58

$10.33 €8.89

-3.48%

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

$522 €449

$552 €475

-5.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,610 €4,826

$11.3K €9,686

-50.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.9

$92.7 €79.7

20.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.37 €33.01

$47.61 €40.95

-19.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.6

$100 €86.1

0.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 €432

$660 €568

-23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 €335

$582 €501

-33.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 €659

$1,182 €1,016

-35.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 €540

$1,029 €885

-39.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,119 €2,683

$4,114 €3,539

-24.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,562 €2,204

$3,388 €2,914

-24.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,398 €1,202

$1,342 €1,154

4.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

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

Last update for Melissia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $502 in Melissia and $660 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melissia pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Melissia vs $64.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $317 per month, with Melissia cheaper across the board.

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

Melissia vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melissia wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Melissia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Melissia pays 4% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $502 in Melissia versus $660 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Melissia – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,554 per month in Melissia versus $1,696 in Athens – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,554 in Melissia versus $1,696 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Melissia but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Melissia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Melissia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,554 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Melissia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Melissia 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 Melissia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.