Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roodepoort and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Roodepoort: $1,193 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Roodepoort
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,193
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,193 in Roodepoort versus $1,775 in Athens.

  • Roodepoort $1,193
  • Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,783 in Roodepoort versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Roodepoort $1,783
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,372 in Roodepoort versus $3,666 in Athens.

  • Roodepoort $2,372
  • Athens $3,666

Living in Roodepoort costs roughly 33% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roodepoort is 12% below, Athens is 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Roodepoort
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.26 R 202
$16.69 €14.84
-26.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.52 R 733
$67.8 €60.3
-34.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.08 R 117
$11.14 €9.91
-36.45%
Cappuccino
$2.48 R 40.89
$4.03 €3.58
-38.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 18.71
$2.77 €2.46
-58.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 R 14.32
$0.55 €0.49
58.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 R 38.18
$5.74 €5.10
-59.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 R 47.94
$5.45 €4.85
-46.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Roodepoort
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 R 19.70
$1.82 €1.62
-34.07%
White Bread (500g)
$1.19 R 19.53
$1.38 €1.23
-13.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.78 R 29.37
$2.80 €2.49
-36.43%
Eggs
$2.43 R 39.97
$4.83 €4.30
-49.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.61 R 142
$15.05 €13.39
-42.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.46 R 89.9
$10.63 €9.45
-48.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.73 R 144
$18.43 €16.39
-52.63%
Apples (1kg)
$1.87 R 30.80
$2.20 €1.96
-15.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.82 R 30.01
$1.90 €1.69
-4.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.72 R 28.35
$1.37 €1.22
25.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 R 33.72
$2.10 €1.87
-2.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 R 28.35
$1.08 €0.96
59.26%
Onion (1kg)
$1.70 R 28.01
$1.12 €1.00
51.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 R 20.28
$1.12 €1.00
9.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 R 21.89
$0.88 €0.79
51.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.30 R 54.3
$5.48 €4.88
-39.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.17 R 102
$10.13 €9.01
-39.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 R 24.95
$2.13 €1.89
-29.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 R 31.31
$2.25 €2.00
-15.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Roodepoort
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 R 14.44
$1.36 €1.21
-35.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$29.89 €26.59
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.86 R 14.22
$4.45 €3.96
-80.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.95 R 15.61
$1.02 €0.90
-6.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.72 R 242
$16.92 €15.05
-13.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 R 24.77
$2.25 €2.00
-33.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 583.1K
$28.0K €24.9K
26.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.2K R 563.7K
$28.2K €25.1K
21.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roodepoort
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$234 R 3,852
$205 €182
14.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.70 R 638
$26.65 €23.71
45.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.73 R 605
$30.38 €27.02
20.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Roodepoort
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.15 R 793
$54.5 €48.47
-11.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.88 €23.02
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.42 R 122
$10.42 €9.27
-28.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Roodepoort
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$247 R 4,064
$569 €506
-56.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,566 R 91.7K
$12.6K €11.2K
-55.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Roodepoort
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 R 887
$88.7 €78.9
-39.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.75 R 540
$40.46 €35.99
-19.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 R 1,816
$105 €93.3
5.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.5 R 1,507
$121 €108
-24.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Roodepoort
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$603 R 9,939
$741 €659
-18.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$297 R 4,895
$655 €582
-54.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,519 R 25.0K
$1,300 €1,156
16.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$524 R 8,640
$1,148 €1,021
-54.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,014 €3,570
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,460 €3,078
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Roodepoort
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,504 R 24.8K
$1,242 €1,105
21.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.25
4.48
151.12%

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

Last update for Roodepoort: October 11, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roodepoort
$309
Athens
$262 15.4% $48
Accommodation & Living
Roodepoort
$297
Athens
$655 120% $357
Groceries & Markets
Roodepoort
$210
Athens
$310 47.5% $100
Eating Out
Roodepoort
$175
Athens
$268 53.6% $94
Clothing & Footwear
Roodepoort
$130
Athens
$160 23.3% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Roodepoort
$63
Athens
$75 19.6% $12
Getting Around
Roodepoort
$9.1 *
Athens
$45 393% $36

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 $603 in Roodepoort and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roodepoort pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Roodepoort vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $310 per month, with Roodepoort cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Roodepoort
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
06:59 6:59 AM
07:59 7:59 AM
1 h ahead of Roodepoort
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
325,000
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Roodepoort Athens 7,140 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Roodepoort
  • 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
Roodepoort vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Roodepoort or Athens?
Roodepoort wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Roodepoort the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Roodepoort or in Athens?
Average pay runs 21% higher in Roodepoort, 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 Roodepoort compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $603 in Roodepoort 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 Roodepoort and in Athens?
Childcare runs $247 in Roodepoort 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 Roodepoort and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Roodepoort – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Roodepoort or in Athens?
At $1,193 in Roodepoort versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roodepoort but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Roodepoort the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Roodepoort or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Roodepoort delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,193 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Roodepoort hard to pass up.
How safe is Roodepoort compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Roodepoort 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 Roodepoort gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Roodepoort vs other spots: cost of living compared

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