Cost of Living Comparison Between Rethymno and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between Rethymno and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,449 in Rethymno versus $1,696 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,232 in Rethymno versus $2,642 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,015 in Rethymno versus $3,588 in Athens.

Living in Rethymno costs roughly 15% less than in Athens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rethymno 8% above, Athens 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 €11.88

$17.49 €15.05

-21.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.46 €39.96

$63.5 €54.7

-26.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 €9.83

$10.62 €9.14

7.63%

Cappuccino

$3.39 €2.91

$4.34 €3.73

-21.89%

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

$1.76 €1.51

$2.49 €2.14

-29.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 €0.40

$0.67 €0.58

-29.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.13

$5.90 €5.07

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 €5.08

$5.83 €5.01

1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.91 €1.65

-1.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.41 €1.21

2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.90 €2.49

-8.28%

Eggs

$4.25 €3.66

$5.08 €4.37

-16.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.85 €14.49

$14.66 €12.61

14.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 €10.01

$11.32 €9.73

2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 €12.59

$15.08 €12.97

-2.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.31 €1.99

-2.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.17 €1.87

0.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.51 €1.30

-1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.30 €1.97

-18.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 €0.66

$1.35 €1.16

-42.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.18 €1.01

31.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 €0.80

$1.26 €1.09

-26.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 €0.31

$1.04 €0.90

-64.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 €4.44

$5.59 €4.81

-7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 €5.91

$11.76 €10.11

-41.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.04 €1.76

-7.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 €2.94

$2.90 €2.49

17.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.41 €1.21

12.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.98 €39.55

$34.49 €29.67

33.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.07

$4.62 €3.97

2.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.46 €9.86

$17.33 €14.91

-33.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.14 €1.84

-1.87%

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

$34.2K €29.4K

$28.4K €24.5K

20.12%

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

$26.0K €22.4K

$30.4K €26.1K

-14.37%

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

$158 €136

$219 €188

-27.92%

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

$19.69 €16.93

$26.82 €23.07

-26.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €28.56

$34.71 €29.86

-4.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.65 €40.99

$57.1 €49.09

-16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.85

Cinema Ticket

$7.99 €6.87

$10.33 €8.89

-22.65%

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

$384 €331

$552 €475

-30.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,208 €3,619

$11.3K €9,686

-62.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.5 €85.6

$92.7 €79.7

7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.67 €39.29

$47.61 €40.95

-4.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 €75.3

$100 €86.1

-12.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$121 €104

12.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 €501

$660 €568

-11.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 €379

$582 €501

-24.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 €833

$1,182 €1,016

-18.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 €658

$1,029 €885

-25.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 €3,483

$4,114 €3,539

-1.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,923 €2,514

$3,388 €2,914

-13.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,165 €1,002

$1,342 €1,154

-13.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

4.99

-13.83%

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

Last update for Rethymno: May 31, 2026

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $583 in Rethymno and $660 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 15% 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: $46.00 in Rethymno vs $64.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $317 per month, with Rethymno cheaper across the board.

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

Rethymno vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rethymno wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rethymno the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Athens earns 15% less. 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: $583 in Rethymno versus $660 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rethymno – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,449 per month in Rethymno versus $1,696 in Athens – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,449 in Rethymno versus $1,696 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rethymno but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Rethymno the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rethymno delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,449 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rethymno hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rethymno 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 Rethymno gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.