Cost of Living Comparison Between Rhodes and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between Rhodes and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,688 in Rhodes versus $1,696 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,653 in Rhodes versus $2,642 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,618 in Rhodes versus $3,588 in Athens.

Monthly costs are close between Rhodes and Athens; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rhodes 26% above, Athens 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.76

$17.49 €15.05

-1.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 €56.5

$63.5 €54.7

3.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 €8.05

$10.62 €9.14

-11.86%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.74

$4.34 €3.73

0.23%

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

$2.42 €2.08

$2.49 €2.14

-2.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.58

$0.67 €0.58

1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €4.95

$5.90 €5.07

-2.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.95

$5.83 €5.01

-21.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.91 €1.65

13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.41 €1.21

46.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.92 €4.23

$2.90 €2.49

69.66%

Eggs

$5.97 €5.14

$5.08 €4.37

17.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.51 €15.06

$14.66 €12.61

19.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.67 €14.34

$11.32 €9.73

47.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 €14.18

$15.08 €12.97

9.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.31 €1.99

-1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.17 €1.87

-8.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.51 €1.30

-0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.30 €1.97

9.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.35 €1.16

41.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.18 €1.01

78.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.16

$1.26 €1.09

6.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$1.04 €0.90

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 €4.53

$5.59 €4.81

-5.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$11.76 €10.11

-30.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.04 €1.76

28.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.90 €2.49

-7.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.41 €1.21

62.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.2 €79.3

$34.49 €29.67

167.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 €3.92

$4.62 €3.97

-1.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.40 €9.81

$17.33 €14.91

-34.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.85

$2.14 €1.84

0.93%

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

$34.6K €29.8K

$28.4K €24.5K

21.82%

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

$26.4K €22.7K

$30.4K €26.1K

-12.95%

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

$173 €149

$219 €188

-21.07%

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

$21.16 €18.20

$26.82 €23.07

-21.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 €24.65

$34.71 €29.86

-17.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 €52.3

$57.1 €49.09

6.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.53 €9.92

$26.57 €22.85

-56.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.29 €7.99

$10.33 €8.89

-10.07%

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

$403 €347

$552 €475

-27.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,972 €5,137

$11.3K €9,686

-46.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$177 €152

$92.7 €79.7

90.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.84 €37.71

$47.61 €40.95

-7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.8

$100 €86.1

7.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 €150

$121 €104

44.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 €495

$660 €568

-12.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 €363

$582 €501

-27.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 €833

$1,182 €1,016

-18.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 €591

$1,029 €885

-33.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,912 €3,365

$4,114 €3,539

-4.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,794 €1,543

$3,388 €2,914

-47.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,387 €1,193

$1,342 €1,154

3.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.7

4.99

-5.81%

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

Last update for Rhodes: May 30, 2026

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $576 in Rhodes and $660 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rhodes pays 3% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66.0 in Rhodes vs $64.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $317 per month, with Athens 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

Rhodes vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rhodes pays 3% more on average, 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: $576 in Rhodes versus $660 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $403 in Rhodes versus $552 in Athens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rhodes – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,688 in Rhodes versus $1,696 in Athens, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rhodes but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Rhodes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rhodes delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,688 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rhodes hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rhodes 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.

It comes down to priorities – Rhodes wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.