Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabac and Athens
For one person, living is cheaper in Sabac: $840 a month against $1,771 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sabac and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $840 in Sabac versus $1,771 in Athens.
Sabac $840
Athens $1,771
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,276 in Sabac versus $2,736 in Athens.
Sabac $1,276
Athens $2,736
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,712 in Sabac versus $3,701 in Athens.
Sabac $1,712
Athens $3,701
🌍
Living in Sabac costs roughly 53% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Sabac is 38% below, Athens is 31% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sabac
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.23RSD 858
$16.83€14.97
-51.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.55RSD 2,872
$68.2€60.7
-59.63%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.71RSD 700
$11.43€10.17
-41.29%
Cappuccino
$1.87RSD 195
$4.06€3.61
-53.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87RSD 195
$2.74€2.44
-31.75%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40RSD 146
$0.53€0.47
164.15%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.63RSD 274
$5.69€5.06
-53.78%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63RSD 274
$5.68€5.06
-53.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sabac
Athens
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.31RSD 136
$1.85€1.64
-29.19%
White Bread(500g)
$0.62RSD 65.0
$1.44€1.28
-56.94%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.92RSD 200
$2.82€2.51
-31.91%
Eggs
$1.89RSD 197
$4.86€4.32
-61.11%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.65RSD 589
$15.27€13.58
-63.00%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.31RSD 658
$10.36€9.21
-39.09%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.48RSD 1,197
$19.10€16.99
-39.90%
Apples(1kg)
$1.24RSD 129
$2.22€1.98
-44.14%
Banana(1kg)
$1.80RSD 188
$1.92€1.71
-6.25%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.45RSD 151
$1.41€1.25
2.84%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.88RSD 196
$2.04€1.82
-7.84%
Potato(1kg)
$0.70RSD 72.6
$1.05€0.93
-33.33%
Onion(1kg)
$0.35RSD 36.08
$1.17€1.04
-70.09%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.00RSD 105
$1.08€0.96
-7.41%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40RSD 41.90
$0.84€0.75
-52.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.61RSD 377
$5.49€4.89
-34.24%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.74RSD 807
$10.17€9.05
-23.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.66RSD 68.4
$2.13€1.90
-69.01%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94RSD 97.6
$2.28€2.03
-58.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Sabac
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.93RSD 97.1
$1.37€1.22
-32.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$29.71€26.43
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.39RSD 145
$4.39€3.90
-68.34%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.95RSD 98.9
$1.00€0.89
-5.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$5.11RSD 532
$16.63€14.79
-69.27%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.76RSD 183
$2.38€2.11
-26.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3KRSD 3.2M
$28.4K€25.3K
6.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.4KRSD 2.5M
$27.2K€24.2K
-10.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sabac
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$138RSD 14.4K
$203€181
-32.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.50RSD 2,658
$26.79€23.83
-4.82%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.96RSD 1,976
$30.16€26.82
-37.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sabac
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$29.17RSD 3,041
$53.7€47.74
-45.66%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.44RSD 1,192
$26.40€23.48
-56.67%
Cinema Ticket
$5.58RSD 581
$10.59€9.42
-47.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sabac
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$176RSD 18.3K
$566€504
-68.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,770RSD 393.0K
$12.9K€11.4K
-70.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sabac
Athens
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8RSD 6,238
$89.1€79.3
-32.85%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$64.5RSD 6,721
$40.48€36.01
59.29%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$56.6RSD 5,898
$104€92.3
-45.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118RSD 12.3K
$124€111
-4.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sabac
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$234RSD 24.4K
$729€648
-67.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$151RSD 15.7K
$647€576
-76.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$345RSD 35.9K
$1,328€1,181
-74.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$250RSD 26.1K
$1,169€1,040
-78.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,884RSD 196.4K
$4,024€3,579
-53.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,514RSD 157.8K
$3,483€3,098
-56.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sabac
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$962RSD 100.3K
$1,240€1,103
-22.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.84
4.48
8.04%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Sabac: October 18, 2026
Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sabac
$182 21.7%
Athens
$260 14.7% ↑ 42.8%$78
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sabac
$182 21.7%
Athens
$312 17.6% ↑ 71.7%$131
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sabac
$151 18%
Athens
$647 36.5% ↑ 329%$496
🍽Eating Out
Sabac
$140 16.7%
Athens
$271 15.3% ↑ 93.5%$131
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sabac
$135 16%
Athens
$161 9.1% ↑ 19.6%$26
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sabac
$40 4.8%
Athens
$75 4.2% ↑ 85.7%$35
🚌Getting Around
Sabac
$9.9 * 1.2%
Athens
$45 2.5% ↑ 352%$35
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sabac
$208 12.1%
Athens
$287 7.8% ↑ 38.2%$79
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sabac
$426 24.9%
Athens
$732 19.8% ↑ 72%$306
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sabac
$250 14.6%
Athens
$1.2K 31.6% ↑ 367%$918
🍽Eating Out
Sabac
$415 24.3%
Athens
$887 24% ↑ 113%$471
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sabac
$299 17.5%
Athens
$358 9.7% ↑ 19.6%$58
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sabac
$92 5.4%
Athens
$176 4.8% ↑ 91.3%$84
🚌Getting Around
Sabac
$22 * 1.3%
Athens
$92 2.5% ↑ 326%$70
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 $234 in Sabac and $729 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Athens pays 29% 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: $28.00 in Sabac vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $312 per month, with Sabac cheaper across the board.
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
Sabac vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sabac or Athens?
Sabac wins on cost – living expenses run 111% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sabac the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Sabac or in Athens?
On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Athens. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Sabac compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $234 in Sabac versus $729 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Sabac and in Athens?
Childcare runs $176 in Sabac versus $566 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 Sabac and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Sabac – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Sabac or in Athens?
At $840 in Sabac versus $1,771 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sabac but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Sabac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Sabac or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Sabac delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $840 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sabac hard to pass up.
How safe is Sabac compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Sabac 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 Sabac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.