Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Middelburg and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Middelburg: $1,089 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
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Middelburg Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Middelburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,089

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,089 in Middelburg versus $1,775 in Athens.

Middelburg $1,089
Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,696 in Middelburg versus $2,721 in Athens.

Middelburg $1,696
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,303 in Middelburg versus $3,666 in Athens.

Middelburg $2,303
Athens $3,666

Living in Middelburg costs roughly 39% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middelburg is 19% below, Athens is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.75 R 161

$16.69 €14.84

-41.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.51 R 585

$67.8 €60.3

-47.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.72 R 94.3

$11.14 €9.91

-48.65%

Cappuccino

$1.35 R 22.19

$4.03 €3.58

-66.50%

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

$0.85 R 14.06

$2.77 €2.46

-69.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 R 9.95

$0.55 €0.49

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 R 19.31

$5.74 €5.10

-79.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 R 25.41

$5.45 €4.85

-71.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R 18.78

$1.82 €1.62

-37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.83

$1.38 €1.23

-21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.91

$2.80 €2.49

-46.07%

Eggs

$1.70 R 28.01

$4.83 €4.30

-64.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.93 R 97.7

$15.05 €13.39

-60.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 R 84.6

$10.63 €9.45

-51.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.54 R 108

$18.43 €16.39

-64.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.95

$2.20 €1.96

-25.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.83

$1.90 €1.69

-43.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 R 19.00

$1.37 €1.22

-16.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.30

$2.10 €1.87

-41.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.62

$1.08 €0.96

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.64

$1.12 €1.00

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 R 19.59

$1.12 €1.00

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.71

$0.88 €0.79

7.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 R 39.66

$5.48 €4.88

-56.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 R 81.5

$10.13 €9.01

-51.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R 30.47

$2.13 €1.89

-13.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 R 33.65

$2.25 €2.00

-9.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 R 23.77

$1.36 €1.21

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.42 R 699

$29.89 €26.59

41.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.66

$4.45 €3.96

-86.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R 14.38

$1.02 €0.90

-14.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.56 R 190

$16.92 €15.05

-31.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.81

$2.25 €2.00

-41.33%

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

$35.1K R 577.9K

$28.0K €24.9K

25.13%

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

$32.1K R 528.4K

$28.2K €25.1K

13.60%

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

$145 R 2,382

$205 €182

-29.35%

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

$34.32 R 565

$26.65 €23.71

28.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.05 R 610

$30.38 €27.02

21.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 R 525

$54.5 €48.47

-41.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.78 R 178

$25.88 €23.02

-58.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 R 118

$10.42 €9.27

-31.00%

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

$243 R 4,005

$569 €506

-57.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,359 R 88.3K

$12.6K €11.2K

-57.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R 874

$88.7 €78.9

-40.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.83 R 541

$40.46 €35.99

-18.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 R 1,623

$105 €93.3

-6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 R 1,455

$121 €108

-27.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 R 6,369

$741 €659

-47.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 R 5,836

$655 €582

-45.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 R 12.1K

$1,300 €1,156

-43.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$742 R 12.2K

$1,148 €1,021

-35.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$878 R 14.5K

$4,014 €3,570

-78.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$665 R 10.9K

$3,460 €3,078

-80.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,193 R 19.6K

$1,242 €1,105

-4.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.48

144.20%

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

Last update for Middelburg: 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

Middelburg

$354 32.5%

Athens

$655 36.9% 84.8% $300

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Middelburg

$216 19.8%

Athens

$262 14.7% 21.2% $46

Groceries & Markets

Middelburg

$170 15.7%

Athens

$310 17.5% 82.1% $140

Eating Out

Middelburg

$126 11.6%

Athens

$268 15.1% 113% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Middelburg

$123 11.3%

Athens

$160 9% 30.3% $37

Getting Around

Middelburg

$53 4.9%

Athens

$45 2.5% 15.5% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Middelburg

$46 4.3%

Athens

$75 4.2% 62.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Middelburg and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 4% 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: $36.00 in Middelburg vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $310 per month, with Middelburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Middelburg

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

14:24 2:24 PM

15:24 3:24 PM

1 h ahead of Middelburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,348

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Middelburg Athens 7,110 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Middelburg
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

Middelburg vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middelburg wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Middelburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Athens. 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: $387 in Middelburg versus $741 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Middelburg – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,089 per month in Middelburg versus $1,775 in Athens – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,089 in Middelburg versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Middelburg but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Middelburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Middelburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,089 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Middelburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Middelburg 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 Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.