Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Elizabeth: $1,233 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,233

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,233 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,806 in Athens.

Port Elizabeth $1,233
Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,847 in Port Elizabeth versus $2,731 in Athens.

Port Elizabeth $1,847
Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,461 in Port Elizabeth versus $3,656 in Athens.

Port Elizabeth $2,461
Athens $3,656

Living in Port Elizabeth costs roughly 32% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Elizabeth is 8% below, Athens is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 R 175

$16.66 €14.87

-36.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.87 R 707

$66.2 €59.1

-35.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 R 99.3

$11.06 €9.87

-45.57%

Cappuccino

$2.12 R 35.03

$4.14 €3.69

-48.79%

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

$1.04 R 17.24

$2.80 €2.50

-62.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R 11.93

$0.57 €0.51

26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 R 45.50

$5.64 €5.03

-51.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 50.5

$5.46 €4.87

-43.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R 18.74

$1.96 €1.75

-41.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.10

$1.41 €1.26

-26.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.78

$2.83 €2.53

-49.12%

Eggs

$2.81 R 46.33

$5.04 €4.50

-44.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 R 142

$15.35 €13.70

-44.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 R 90.2

$10.34 €9.23

-47.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.28 R 137

$18.97 €16.93

-56.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.80

$2.17 €1.93

-2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.46

$1.91 €1.70

-19.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.56

$1.38 €1.23

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.43

$2.20 €1.96

-19.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.56

$1.10 €0.98

57.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.46

$1.13 €1.00

25.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 R 21.27

$1.10 €0.99

17.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.70

$0.83 €0.74

21.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 R 51.6

$5.60 €4.99

-44.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 R 79.6

$10.19 €9.09

-52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 R 20.63

$2.18 €1.95

-42.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 30.06

$2.45 €2.19

-25.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R 17.96

$1.38 €1.23

-21.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.08 R 595

$30.87 €27.55

16.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 R 35.03

$4.37 €3.90

-51.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.20

$1.04 €0.93

-51.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 R 139

$17.11 €15.27

-50.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 R 23.86

$2.31 €2.07

-37.23%

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

$35.4K R 584.3K

$28.0K €25.0K

26.55%

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

$34.0K R 561.2K

$28.0K €25.0K

21.41%

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

$123 R 2,024

$210 €187

-41.51%

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

$35.08 R 579

$26.70 €23.83

31.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.22 R 746

$30.13 €26.89

50.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.88 R 526

$54.6 €48.72

-41.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.73 R 375

$26.03 €23.23

-12.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 R 175

$10.78 €9.62

-1.58%

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

$176 R 2,902

$575 €513

-69.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,192 R 102.2K

$13.1K €11.7K

-52.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 R 1,164

$93.2 €83.1

-24.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.27 R 631

$40.68 €36.30

-5.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,807

$104 €92.9

5.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 R 1,593

$128 €115

-24.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 R 10.1K

$756 €674

-19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,891

$652 €582

-35.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 R 13.3K

$1,294 €1,154

-37.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 R 11.4K

$1,163 €1,038

-40.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$750 R 12.4K

$4,008 €3,577

-81.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 R 8,754

$3,452 €3,081

-84.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,612 R 26.6K

$1,243 €1,110

29.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

4.48

166.52%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 3, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Elizabeth

$418 34.4%

Athens

$652 36.5% 56.2% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Elizabeth

$203 16.7%

Athens

$267 14.9% 31.3% $64

Groceries & Markets

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2%

Athens

$315 17.6% 60% $118

Eating Out

Port Elizabeth

$155 12.8%

Athens

$269 15% 72.9% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7%

Athens

$165 9.2% 16.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Port Elizabeth

$53 4.4%

Athens

$76 4.3% 43.4% $23

Getting Around

Port Elizabeth

$45 3.7%

Athens

$46 2.6% 2% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $612 in Port Elizabeth and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Port Elizabeth vs $66.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $315 per month, with Port Elizabeth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

13:39 1:39 PM

1 h ahead of Port Elizabeth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,050,000

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 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 = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

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

USD to ZAR in detail →

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Between locations

Port Elizabeth Athens 8,000 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Elizabeth
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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

Port Elizabeth vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Elizabeth wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Port Elizabeth the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Port Elizabeth, 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: $612 in Port Elizabeth versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Elizabeth – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $66.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,233 per month in Port Elizabeth versus $1,806 in Athens – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,233 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Elizabeth but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Port Elizabeth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Port Elizabeth delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,233 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Port Elizabeth hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.