Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rouen and Athens

For one person, living costs are similar in Rouen and in Athens: $1,709 and $1,775 a month, rent and utilities included.

Rouen
🇫🇷 France
$1,709
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,709 in Rouen versus $1,775 in Athens.

  • Rouen $1,709
  • Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Rouen versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Rouen $2,608
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,507 in Rouen versus $3,666 in Athens.

  • Rouen $3,507
  • Athens $3,666

Living in Rouen costs roughly 4% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rouen 27% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rouen
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.76 €14.94
$16.69 €14.88
0.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0 €58.9
$67.8 €60.4
-2.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.29 €10.07
$11.14 €9.93
1.35%
Cappuccino
$3.26 €2.91
$4.03 €3.59
-19.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 €3.22
$2.77 €2.47
30.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.78
$0.55 €0.49
467.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.17 €6.39
$5.74 €5.11
24.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.59 €5.88
$5.45 €4.86
20.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rouen
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.82 €1.62
-19.23%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.38 €1.23
-18.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$2.80 €2.50
-24.29%
Eggs
$3.65 €3.26
$4.83 €4.31
-24.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.91 €15.97
$15.05 €13.42
19.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 €8.32
$10.63 €9.47
-12.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.54 €23.67
$18.43 €16.43
44.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.51 €2.24
$2.20 €1.96
14.09%
Banana (1kg)
$2.96 €2.64
$1.90 €1.69
55.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.43 €2.17
$1.37 €1.22
77.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 €2.86
$2.10 €1.87
52.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.08 €0.96
87.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.12 €1.00
32.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.12 €1.00
13.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 €0.39
$0.88 €0.79
-50.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.30 €12.75
$5.48 €4.89
160.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.81 €6.07
$10.13 €9.03
-32.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.56 €2.28
$2.13 €1.90
20.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 €2.82
$2.25 €2.01
40.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Rouen
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.05 €1.83
$1.36 €1.22
50.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.42 €43.17
$29.89 €26.65
61.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.70 €7.76
$4.45 €3.97
95.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.25 €1.12
$1.02 €0.91
22.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.20 €29.60
$16.92 €15.09
96.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.25 €2.00
-8.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.9K €31.1K
$28.0K €25.0K
24.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.7K €31.8K
$28.2K €25.2K
26.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rouen
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €187
$205 €182
2.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.13 €20.62
$26.65 €23.76
-13.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.52 €35.23
$30.38 €27.09
30.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rouen
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.66 €38.04
$54.5 €48.58
-21.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.77 €14.95
$25.88 €23.07
-35.20%
Cinema Ticket
$14.56 €12.98
$10.42 €9.29
39.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rouen
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$883 €788
$569 €507
55.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,874 €8,804
$12.6K €11.2K
-21.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rouen
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.3 €75.1
$88.7 €79.1
-4.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$40.46 €36.08
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.7 €84.4
$105 €93.5
-9.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.4
$121 €108
-12.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rouen
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$674 €601
$741 €661
-9.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$545 €486
$655 €584
-16.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,233 €1,100
$1,300 €1,159
-5.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$924 €824
$1,148 €1,023
-19.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,871 €3,451
$4,014 €3,579
-3.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,327 €2,075
$3,460 €3,085
-32.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rouen
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,530 €2,255
$1,242 €1,108
103.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.81
4.48
-14.96%

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

Last update for Rouen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rouen
$545
Athens
$655 20.1% $109
Groceries & Markets
Rouen
$337
Athens
$310 7.9% $27
Eating Out
Rouen
$283
Athens
$268 5.3% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rouen
$272
Athens
$262 4% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Rouen
$128 *
Athens
$160 24.8% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Rouen
$72
Athens
$75 4.9% $3.5
Getting Around
Rouen
$72
Athens
$45 37.3% $27

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 $674 in Rouen and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rouen pays 104% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Rouen vs $68.0 in Athens. Groceries flip the comparison at $337 vs $310, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Rouen
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
06:49 6:49 AM
07:49 7:49 AM
1 h ahead of Rouen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
114,083
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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rouen Athens 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Rouen
  • 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
Rouen vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rouen or Athens?
Rouen wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rouen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Rouen or in Athens?
Average pay runs 104% higher in Rouen, 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 Rouen compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $674 in Rouen versus $741 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Rouen and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Rouen – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Rouen compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $1,709 per month in Rouen versus $1,775 in Athens – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Rouen or in Athens?
At $1,709 in Rouen versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rouen but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Rouen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Rouen or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Rouen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,709 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rouen hard to pass up.
How safe is Rouen compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Rouen 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 Rouen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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