Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ponta Delgada and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Ponta Delgada: $1,689 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Ponta Delgada
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,689
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,689 in Ponta Delgada versus $1,806 in Athens.

  • Ponta Delgada $1,689
  • Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,391 in Ponta Delgada versus $2,731 in Athens.

  • Ponta Delgada $2,391
  • Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,092 in Ponta Delgada versus $3,656 in Athens.

  • Ponta Delgada $3,092
  • Athens $3,656

Living in Ponta Delgada costs roughly 6% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ponta Delgada 26% above, Athens 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ponta Delgada
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.61 €12.14
$16.66 €14.87
-18.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.22 €40.35
$66.2 €59.1
-31.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.85 €9.69
$11.06 €9.87
-1.90%
Cappuccino
$1.81 €1.62
$4.14 €3.69
-56.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 €1.61
$2.80 €2.50
-35.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 €1.67
$0.57 €0.51
228.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 €2.83
$5.64 €5.03
-43.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.34
$5.46 €4.87
-31.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ponta Delgada
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 €0.89
$1.96 €1.75
-48.98%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 €1.44
$1.41 €1.26
14.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.83 €2.53
-38.87%
Eggs
$3.00 €2.67
$5.04 €4.50
-40.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.81 €15.00
$15.35 €13.70
9.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.58 €10.34
$10.34 €9.23
11.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.61 €14.82
$18.97 €16.93
-12.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 €2.19
$2.17 €1.93
12.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.91 €1.70
-9.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.38 €1.23
58.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.09 €2.76
$2.20 €1.96
40.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.55 €1.38
$1.10 €0.98
40.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.13 €1.00
46.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.87 €2.56
$1.10 €0.99
160.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 €0.91
$0.83 €0.74
21.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.13 €4.58
$5.60 €4.99
-8.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.87 €5.24
$10.19 €9.09
-42.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 €2.17
$2.18 €1.95
11.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 €2.85
$2.45 €2.19
30.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Ponta Delgada
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.72 €1.54
$1.38 €1.23
24.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.5 €50.4
$30.87 €27.55
83.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.75 €5.13
$4.37 €3.90
31.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.04 €0.93
30.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.59 €4.99
$17.11 €15.27
-67.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.86
$2.31 €2.07
-9.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K €30.2K
$28.0K €25.0K
20.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K €36.3K
$28.0K €25.0K
45.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ponta Delgada
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$145 €129
$210 €187
-30.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.87 €16.84
$26.70 €23.83
-29.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.04 €38.41
$30.13 €26.89
42.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ponta Delgada
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.96 €29.41
$54.6 €48.72
-39.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.89 €17.75
$26.03 €23.23
-23.59%
Cinema Ticket
$9.49 €8.47
$10.78 €9.62
-11.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ponta Delgada
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$279 €249
$575 €513
-51.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,699 €5,978
$13.1K €11.7K
-48.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ponta Delgada
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.95 €42.79
$93.2 €83.1
-48.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.41 €29.81
$40.68 €36.30
-17.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.4 €59.3
$104 €92.9
-36.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 €119
$128 €115
4.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ponta Delgada
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,200 €1,071
$756 €674
58.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$697 €622
$652 €582
6.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,399 €1,248
$1,294 €1,154
8.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$963 €859
$1,163 €1,038
-17.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,972 €3,544
$4,008 €3,577
-0.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,992 €2,670
$3,452 €3,081
-13.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ponta Delgada
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,401 €1,250
$1,243 €1,110
12.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.71
4.48
-17.19%

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

Last update for Ponta Delgada: October 5, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ponta Delgada
$697
Athens
$652 6.5% $45
Groceries & Markets
Ponta Delgada
$312
Athens
$315 0.9% $2.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ponta Delgada
$207
Athens
$267 28.9% $60
Eating Out
Ponta Delgada
$201
Athens
$269 33.6% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Ponta Delgada
$127
Athens
$165 30.2% $38
Getting Around
Ponta Delgada
$76
Athens
$46 39.5% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Ponta Delgada
$52
Athens
$76 46.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,200 in Ponta Delgada and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ponta Delgada pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Ponta Delgada vs $66.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $315 per month, with Ponta Delgada cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Ponta Delgada
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
13:45 1:45 PM
16:45 4:45 PM
3 h ahead of Ponta Delgada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,233
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Ponta Delgada Athens 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ponta Delgada
  • 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
Ponta Delgada vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ponta Delgada or Athens?
Ponta Delgada wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ponta Delgada the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ponta Delgada or in Athens?
Average pay runs 13% higher in Ponta Delgada, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ponta Delgada compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,200 in Ponta Delgada versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Ponta Delgada and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Ponta Delgada – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $66.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Ponta Delgada compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $1,689 per month in Ponta Delgada versus $1,806 in Athens – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Ponta Delgada or in Athens?
At $1,689 in Ponta Delgada versus $1,806 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ponta Delgada but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Ponta Delgada the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ponta Delgada or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ponta Delgada delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,689 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ponta Delgada hard to pass up.
How safe is Ponta Delgada compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Ponta Delgada 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ponta Delgada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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