Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $1,928 in Rabat, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rabat outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Rabat
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,928
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,928 in Rabat versus $1,775 in Athens.

  • Rabat $1,928
  • Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,701 in Rabat versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Rabat $2,701
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,474 in Rabat versus $3,666 in Athens.

  • Rabat $3,474
  • Athens $3,666

Living in Rabat is roughly 9% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rabat 43% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rabat
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.55 €14.72
$16.69 €14.84
-0.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.4 €44.82
$67.8 €60.3
-25.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.19 €9.96
$11.14 €9.91
0.45%
Cappuccino
$2.25 €2.00
$4.03 €3.58
-44.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 €2.20
$2.77 €2.46
-10.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 €1.51
$0.55 €0.49
207.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.33 €2.97
$5.74 €5.10
-41.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43 €3.05
$5.45 €4.85
-37.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rabat
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.82 €1.62
-39.01%
White Bread (500g)
$1.34 €1.19
$1.38 €1.23
-2.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.80 €2.49
-19.29%
Eggs
$3.50 €3.11
$4.83 €4.30
-27.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.97 €7.09
$15.05 €13.39
-47.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.87 €7.00
$10.63 €9.45
-25.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.51 €11.13
$18.43 €16.39
-32.12%
Apples (1kg)
$4.12 €3.67
$2.20 €1.96
87.27%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.90 €1.69
14.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.55 €3.16
$1.37 €1.22
159.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$2.10 €1.87
5.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.08 €0.96
6.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 €1.01
$1.12 €1.00
1.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.12 €1.00
-2.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$0.88 €0.79
23.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.80 €6.05
$5.48 €4.88
24.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.23 €7.32
$10.13 €9.01
-18.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 €1.57
$2.13 €1.89
-17.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 €2.17
$2.25 €2.00
8.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Rabat
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.71 €2.41
$1.36 €1.21
99.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$29.89 €26.59
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.73 €5.09
$4.45 €3.96
28.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.21 €1.96
$1.02 €0.90
116.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.77 €23.81
$16.92 €15.05
58.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 €1.34
$2.25 €2.00
-32.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.7K €33.6K
$28.0K €24.9K
34.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.3K
$28.2K €25.1K
36.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rabat
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$101 €90.2
$205 €182
-50.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 €10.82
$26.65 €23.71
-54.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.85 €38.12
$30.38 €27.02
41.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rabat
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.1 €55.3
$54.5 €48.47
13.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.18 €19.73
$25.88 €23.02
-14.30%
Cinema Ticket
$10.09 €8.98
$10.42 €9.27
-3.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rabat
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$369 €328
$569 €506
-35.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K €10.0K
$12.6K €11.2K
-10.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rabat
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.2 €76.7
$88.7 €78.9
-2.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.60 €24.55
$40.46 €35.99
-31.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.7 €65.6
$105 €93.3
-29.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.8 €68.3
$121 €108
-36.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rabat
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 €934
$741 €659
41.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,049 €933
$655 €582
60.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,735 €1,543
$1,300 €1,156
33.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,460 €1,299
$1,148 €1,021
27.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,396 €3,910
$4,014 €3,570
9.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,149 €2,801
$3,460 €3,078
-9.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rabat
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,318 €1,173
$1,242 €1,105
6.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.9
4.48
-35.27%

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

Last update for Rabat: 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
Rabat
$1K
Athens
$655 37.6% $394
Groceries & Markets
Rabat
$261
Athens
$310 19.1% $50
Eating Out
Rabat
$233
Athens
$268 15% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rabat
$156
Athens
$262 67.3% $105
Clothing & Footwear
Rabat
$119
Athens
$160 34.4% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Rabat
$82
Athens
$75 8.5% $7
Getting Around
Rabat
$28 *
Athens
$45 62.7% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Rabat and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rabat pays 6% 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: $50.0 in Rabat vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $310 per month, with Rabat cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Rabat
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
16:59 4:59 PM
17:59 5:59 PM
1 h ahead of Rabat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,497
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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rabat Athens 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Rabat
  • 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
Rabat vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rabat or Athens?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Rabat. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Rabat or in Athens?
Average pay runs 6% higher in Rabat, 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 Rabat compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,051 in Rabat versus $741 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Rabat and in Athens?
Childcare runs $369 in Rabat versus $569 in Athens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Rabat and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $50.0 in Rabat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Rabat or in Athens?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $1,928 in Rabat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Rabat. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Rabat or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Rabat compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Rabat 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Rabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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