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: $1,799 in Rhodes versus $1,847 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,773 in Rhodes versus $2,850 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,747 in Rhodes versus $3,854 in Athens.

Living in Rhodes costs roughly 3% less than in Athens, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rhodes 31% above, Athens 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.29 €16.64

$17.76 €15.32

8.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 €59.4

$70.6 €60.9

-2.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 €8.74

$11.81 €10.20

-14.23%

Cappuccino

$4.51 €3.89

$4.35 €3.76

3.68%

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

$2.56 €2.21

$2.93 €2.52

-12.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.84

$0.60 €0.52

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €4.97

$5.97 €5.15

-3.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 €4.12

$5.71 €4.92

-16.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.99 €1.72

12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.62

$1.49 €1.29

25.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.40 €4.66

$2.98 €2.57

81.21%

Eggs

$6.39 €5.51

$4.80 €4.14

33.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.64 €14.36

$15.42 €13.31

7.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 €10.01

$11.35 €9.79

2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.27 €16.63

$19.05 €16.44

1.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.24 €1.93

2.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.99

$2.01 €1.74

14.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.48 €1.28

4.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.20 €1.90

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.13 €0.98

56.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.22 €1.06

66.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.23 €1.06

13.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.62

$0.92 €0.80

-22.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.42 €4.68

$5.86 €5.06

-7.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 €6.98

$10.37 €8.95

-21.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.12 €1.83

24.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.77 €2.39

-38.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 €2.30

$1.42 €1.23

87.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.7 €66.2

$31.93 €27.56

140.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 €3.05

$4.60 €3.97

-23.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.06 €0.92

45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 €10.15

$17.70 €15.28

-33.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.32 €2.00

-6.47%

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

$29.2K €25.2K

$28.8K €24.8K

1.50%

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

$26.8K €23.1K

$29.3K €25.3K

-8.65%

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

$230 €199

$224 €194

2.64%

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

$27.97 €24.14

$27.25 €23.51

2.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.41 €27.11

$32.13 €27.72

-2.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 €52.8

$55.0 €47.42

11.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.99 €34.51

$29.00 €25.02

37.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 €7.87

$10.88 €9.39

-16.18%

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

$495 €427

$612 €528

-19.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,512 €8,208

$13.3K €11.5K

-28.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$155 €134

$94.9 €81.9

63.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.37 €29.65

$41.67 €35.96

-17.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €100

$107 €92.3

8.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €143

$132 €114

25.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 €516

$769 €664

-22.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 €397

$663 €573

-30.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 €908

$1,348 €1,163

-21.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 €703

$1,196 €1,032

-31.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,901 €3,366

$4,076 €3,518

-4.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 €1,580

$3,519 €3,037

-47.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,375 €1,186

$1,313 €1,133

4.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

4.43

2.26%

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

Last update for Rhodes: August 29, 2026

Last update for Athens: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $598 in Rhodes and $769 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rhodes pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Rhodes vs $71.0 in Athens. Groceries flip the comparison at $355 vs $325, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

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 and Athens differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,799 vs $1,847 including rent). Rhodes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Rhodes, 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: $598 in Rhodes versus $769 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rhodes – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $71.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,799 per month in Rhodes versus $1,847 in Athens – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,799 in Rhodes versus $1,847 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 $1,799 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.

Expats usually find Rhodes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.