Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pietermaritzburg and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,036 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
Learn more

Pietermaritzburg Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index

Jump to prices

Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,036

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,036 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,806 in Athens.

Pietermaritzburg $1,036
Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,560 in Pietermaritzburg versus $2,731 in Athens.

Pietermaritzburg $1,560
Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,083 in Pietermaritzburg versus $3,656 in Athens.

Pietermaritzburg $2,083
Athens $3,656

Living in Pietermaritzburg costs roughly 43% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pietermaritzburg is 23% below, Athens is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 R 130

$16.66 €14.87

-52.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.62 R 588

$66.2 €59.1

-46.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 R 92.6

$11.06 €9.87

-49.28%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R 37.86

$4.14 €3.69

-44.69%

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

$1.16 R 19.12

$2.80 €2.50

-58.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.08

$0.57 €0.51

70.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 R 36.89

$5.64 €5.03

-60.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R 42.25

$5.46 €4.87

-53.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 R 21.88

$1.96 €1.75

-32.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 R 16.45

$1.41 €1.26

-29.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.78

$2.83 €2.53

-38.52%

Eggs

$3.20 R 52.7

$5.04 €4.50

-36.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.93 R 114

$15.35 €13.70

-54.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 R 81.8

$10.34 €9.23

-52.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.57 R 108

$18.97 €16.93

-65.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R 33.40

$2.17 €1.93

-6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$1.91 €1.70

-0.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.35

$1.38 €1.23

59.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 R 34.00

$2.20 €1.96

-6.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.92

$1.10 €0.98

59.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.93

$1.13 €1.00

54.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 R 25.31

$1.10 €0.99

39.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R 17.98

$0.83 €0.74

31.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R 49.69

$5.60 €4.99

-46.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.94 R 65.0

$10.19 €9.09

-61.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.72

$2.18 €1.95

-36.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 R 29.70

$2.45 €2.19

-26.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 R 46.92

$1.38 €1.23

105.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.57 R 323

$30.87 €27.55

-36.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 R 27.23

$4.37 €3.90

-62.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.60

$1.04 €0.93

2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 R 23.49

$2.31 €2.07

-38.53%

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

$26.7K R 440.1K

$28.0K €25.0K

-4.66%

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

$26.2K R 432.5K

$28.0K €25.0K

-6.42%

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

$206 R 3,398

$210 €187

-1.82%

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

$31.68 R 523

$26.70 €23.83

18.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.96 R 610

$30.13 €26.89

22.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.95 R 725

$54.6 €48.72

-19.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 R 50.1

$26.03 €23.23

-88.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 R 77.8

$10.78 €9.62

-56.22%

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

$181 R 2,993

$575 €513

-68.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 R 85.9K

$13.1K €11.7K

-60.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$93.2 €83.1

-40.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.93 R 560

$40.68 €36.30

-16.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,910

$104 €92.9

11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.9 R 1,137

$128 €115

-46.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 R 3,607

$756 €674

-71.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 R 3,670

$652 €582

-65.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 R 9,593

$1,294 €1,154

-55.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 R 6,698

$1,163 €1,038

-65.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,971 R 98.5K

$4,008 €3,577

48.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$149 R 2,455

$3,452 €3,081

-95.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,074 R 17.7K

$1,243 €1,110

-13.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

4.48

160.49%

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

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 5, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pietermaritzburg

$275 26.4%

Athens

$267 14.9% 2.9% $8

Accommodation & Living

Pietermaritzburg

$222 21.4%

Athens

$652 36.5% 193% $430

Groceries & Markets

Pietermaritzburg

$195 18.8%

Athens

$315 17.6% 61.2% $119

Eating Out

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8%

Athens

$269 15% 103% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Pietermaritzburg

$123 11.9%

Athens

$165 9.2% 33.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.1%

Athens

$76 4.3% 42.7% $23

Getting Around

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7%

Athens

$46 2.6% 21.1% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $219 in Pietermaritzburg and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 16% 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 Pietermaritzburg vs $66.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $315 per month, with Pietermaritzburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

10:43 10:43 AM

1 h ahead of Pietermaritzburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

618,536

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pietermaritzburg Athens 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Pietermaritzburg
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

Pietermaritzburg vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pietermaritzburg wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pietermaritzburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% 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: $219 in Pietermaritzburg versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $66.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,036 per month in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,806 in Athens – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,036 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,806 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pietermaritzburg but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Pietermaritzburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pietermaritzburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,036 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pietermaritzburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.