Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Piraeus and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Piraeus: $1,492 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Piraeus
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Piraeus Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Piraeus

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,492

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,492 in Piraeus versus $1,759 in Athens.

Piraeus $1,492
Athens $1,759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,319 in Piraeus versus $2,696 in Athens.

Piraeus $2,319
Athens $2,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,145 in Piraeus versus $3,632 in Athens.

Piraeus $3,145
Athens $3,632

Living in Piraeus costs roughly 15% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Piraeus 10% above, Athens 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.60 €14.92

$17.05 €15.32

-2.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 €49.87

$65.8 €59.2

-15.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 €9.20

$10.96 €9.84

-6.57%

Cappuccino

$3.70 €3.33

$4.10 €3.69

-9.76%

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

$1.41 €1.27

$2.83 €2.54

-50.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.59 €0.53

-8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.10

$5.62 €5.05

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.10

$5.67 €5.09

0.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.68

$1.90 €1.70

-1.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 €0.98

$1.46 €1.31

-25.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.36

$2.71 €2.43

-3.32%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.39

$5.04 €4.53

-25.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 €12.24

$15.08 €13.55

-9.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 €8.75

$10.28 €9.23

-5.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 €11.95

$19.40 €17.43

-31.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.04

$2.12 €1.91

7.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.91 €1.72

15.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 €1.07

$1.41 €1.26

-15.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.63

$2.13 €1.91

-15.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.04 €0.94

10.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 €0.83

$1.13 €1.02

-17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 €0.84

$1.13 €1.01

-17.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.89

$0.81 €0.73

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 €4.65

$5.52 €4.96

-6.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 €8.12

$9.99 €8.98

-9.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.79

$2.04 €1.83

-1.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 €3.66

$2.28 €2.05

78.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.31 €1.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.13 €30.66

$30.67 €27.56

11.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 €3.99

$4.37 €3.93

1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.03 €0.92

123.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.45 €24.66

$17.05 €15.32

61.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.83

$2.34 €2.11

-13.25%

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

$30.4K €27.3K

$28.3K €25.4K

7.47%

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

$25.4K €22.8K

$26.8K €24.0K

-5.22%

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

$207 €186

$200 €180

3.64%

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

$23.53 €21.14

$25.17 €22.62

-6.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.60 €28.39

$29.65 €26.64

6.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.83 €42.08

$50.4 €45.32

-7.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.04 €35.08

$25.94 €23.30

50.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.98

$10.52 €9.46

-4.94%

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

$394 €354

$576 €518

-31.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 €67.2

$89.7 €80.6

-16.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 €34.62

$39.57 €35.55

-2.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 €112

$105 €94.7

18.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €103

$124 €111

-7.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 €493

$740 €665

-25.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$413 €371

$643 €578

-35.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 €928

$1,305 €1,172

-20.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 €695

$1,121 €1,007

-30.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,326 €2,989

$4,011 €3,604

-17.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,638 €2,370

$3,284 €2,951

-19.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,054 €947

$1,224 €1,099

-13.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.83

4.48

7.81%

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

Last update for Piraeus: October 27, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Piraeus

$413 27.7%

Athens

$643 36.5% 55.5% $229

Groceries & Markets

Piraeus

$280 18.8%

Athens

$312 17.7% 11.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Piraeus

$262 17.6%

Athens

$255 14.5% 2.9% $7.6

Eating Out

Piraeus

$255 17.1%

Athens

$272 15.4% 6.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Piraeus

$159 10.7%

Athens

$161 9.2% 1.4% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Piraeus

$67 4.5%

Athens

$71 4.1% 7% $4.7

Getting Around

Piraeus

$55 3.7%

Athens

$45 2.6% 17.8% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $549 in Piraeus and $740 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: $56 in Piraeus vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $312 per month, with Piraeus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Piraeus

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

Same time as Piraeus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

163,688

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Piraeus vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piraeus wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Piraeus the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Piraeus. 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: $549 in Piraeus versus $740 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Piraeus – a meal for two runs $56 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,492 per month in Piraeus versus $1,759 in Athens – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Piraeus wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.