Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pula and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Pula: $1,577 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Pula
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,577
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,577 in Pula versus $1,775 in Athens.

  • Pula $1,577
  • Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,504 in Pula versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Pula $2,504
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,432 in Pula versus $3,666 in Athens.

  • Pula $3,432
  • Athens $3,666

Living in Pula costs roughly 11% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pula 17% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pula
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.57 €13.01
$16.69 €14.90
-12.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0 €58.9
$67.8 €60.5
-2.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.89 €7.94
$11.14 €9.95
-20.20%
Cappuccino
$2.48 €2.22
$4.03 €3.60
-38.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 €2.66
$2.77 €2.47
7.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.89
$0.55 €0.49
283.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.29 €2.94
$5.74 €5.12
-42.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 €3.88
$5.45 €4.86
-20.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pula
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.82 €1.63
-35.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 €1.60
$1.38 €1.23
29.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.20 €2.85
$2.80 €2.50
14.29%
Eggs
$3.90 €3.48
$4.83 €4.32
-19.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.68 €9.54
$15.05 €13.44
-29.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.67 €9.53
$10.63 €9.49
0.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.47 €16.50
$18.43 €16.45
0.22%
Apples (1kg)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.20 €1.97
-13.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 €1.68
$1.90 €1.69
-1.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.37 €1.22
54.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.55 €2.28
$2.10 €1.87
21.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.08 €0.97
21.30%
Onion (1kg)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.12 €1.00
16.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.12 €1.00
16.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.08
$0.88 €0.79
37.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.54 €4.95
$5.48 €4.90
1.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.80 €6.96
$10.13 €9.04
-23.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.69
$2.13 €1.90
-11.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 €2.13
$2.25 €2.01
5.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Pula
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.36 €1.22
60.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.87 €30.24
$29.89 €26.69
13.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.38 €3.01
$4.45 €3.97
-24.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.02 €0.91
113.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.65 €19.33
$16.92 €15.11
27.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.59
$2.25 €2.01
-20.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.0K €23.3K
$28.0K €25.0K
-7.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K €24.0K
$28.2K €25.2K
-4.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pula
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 €139
$205 €183
-23.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.06 €19.70
$26.65 €23.80
-17.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.22 €35.92
$30.38 €27.13
32.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pula
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.30 €44.03
$54.5 €48.66
-9.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.54 €33.53
$25.88 €23.11
45.05%
Cinema Ticket
$10.91 €9.74
$10.42 €9.30
4.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pula
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$237 €212
$569 €508
-58.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,769 €2,473
$12.6K €11.2K
-77.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pula
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$115 €102
$88.7 €79.2
29.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.58 €31.77
$40.46 €36.13
-12.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$144 €128
$105 €93.7
37.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 €118
$121 €108
9.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pula
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$667 €596
$741 €662
-9.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$523 €467
$655 €585
-20.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,302 €1,163
$1,300 €1,161
0.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,004 €896
$1,148 €1,025
-12.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,316 €3,854
$4,014 €3,584
7.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,539 €3,160
$3,460 €3,090
2.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pula
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,520 €1,357
$1,242 €1,109
22.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.54
4.48
-20.98%

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

Last update for Pula: October 10, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pula
$523
Athens
$655 25.1% $131
Groceries & Markets
Pula
$297
Athens
$310 4.5% $13
Eating Out
Pula
$219
Athens
$268 22.7% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pula
$218
Athens
$262 20.1% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Pula
$192
Athens
$160 16.7% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Pula
$71
Athens
$75 5.9% $4.2
Getting Around
Pula
$57
Athens
$45 21.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $667 in Pula and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pula pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Pula vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $310 per month, with Pula cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Pula
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
12:16 12:16 PM
13:16 1:16 PM
1 h ahead of Pula
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
52,220
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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pula Athens 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Pula
  • 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
Pula vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Pula or Athens?
Pula wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pula the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Pula or in Athens?
Average pay runs 22% higher in Pula, 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 Pula compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $667 in Pula versus $741 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Pula and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Pula – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Pula compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $1,577 per month in Pula versus $1,775 in Athens – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Pula or in Athens?
At $1,577 in Pula versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pula but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Pula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Pula or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Pula delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,577 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pula hard to pass up.
How safe is Pula compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Pula 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 Pula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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