Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,759 a month against $1,872 in Saintes, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Saintes, France
Athens, Greece
Saintes
🇫🇷 France
$1,872
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,759
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,872 in Saintes versus $1,759 in Athens.

  • Saintes $1,872
  • Athens $1,759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,858 in Saintes versus $2,696 in Athens.

  • Saintes $2,858
  • Athens $2,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,843 in Saintes versus $3,632 in Athens.

  • Saintes $3,843
  • Athens $3,632

Living in Saintes is roughly 6% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saintes 38% above, Athens 29% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saintes
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.58 €20.29
$17.05 €15.32
32.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.3 €61.4
$65.8 €59.2
3.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.52 €5.86
$10.96 €9.84
-40.51%
Cappuccino
$3.69 €3.31
$4.10 €3.69
-10.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 €2.44
$2.83 €2.54
-4.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.21
$0.59 €0.53
128.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.35 €6.60
$5.62 €5.05
30.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.62 €4.15
$5.67 €5.09
-18.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saintes
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.90 €1.70
-45.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.46 €1.31
26.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 €1.69
$2.71 €2.43
-30.63%
Eggs
$2.26 €2.03
$5.04 €4.53
-55.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.82 €21.41
$15.08 €13.55
57.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.79 €10.59
$10.28 €9.23
14.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.67 €15.88
$19.40 €17.43
-8.92%
Apples (1kg)
$4.20 €3.77
$2.12 €1.91
98.11%
Banana (1kg)
$3.71 €3.33
$1.91 €1.72
94.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 €1.74
$1.41 €1.26
37.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.14 €4.62
$2.13 €1.91
141.31%
Potato (1kg)
$0.76 €0.68
$1.04 €0.94
-26.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.13 €1.02
6.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.13 €1.01
51.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.34 €0.31
$0.81 €0.73
-58.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.46 €12.99
$5.52 €4.96
161.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.93 €11.62
$9.99 €8.98
29.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.39 €2.15
$2.04 €1.83
17.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 €2.12
$2.28 €2.05
3.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Saintes
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.31 €1.18
41.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.69
$30.67 €27.56
44.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.93
$4.37 €3.93
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.31 €2.08
$1.03 €0.92
124.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.94 €30.49
$17.05 €15.32
99.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.94 €1.74
$2.34 €2.11
-17.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.5K €32.8K
$28.3K €25.4K
29.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.1K €34.2K
$26.8K €24.0K
42.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saintes
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 €120
$200 €180
-32.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.13 €10.00
$25.17 €22.62
-55.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.75 €30.33
$29.65 €26.64
13.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saintes
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.92 €32.27
$50.4 €45.32
-28.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.94 €23.30
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.91 €8.91
$10.52 €9.46
-5.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saintes
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$849 €762
$576 €518
47.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K €9,791
$12.9K €11.6K
-15.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saintes
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109 €97.9
$89.7 €80.6
21.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.98 €35.02
$39.57 €35.55
-1.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €97.0
$105 €94.7
2.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 €134
$124 €111
20.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saintes
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$691 €621
$740 €665
-6.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$717 €644
$643 €578
11.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,441 €1,295
$1,305 €1,172
10.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 €1,060
$1,121 €1,007
5.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,571 €3,209
$4,011 €3,604
-10.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,323 €2,986
$3,284 €2,951
1.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saintes
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,224 €1,099
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.79
4.48
-15.40%

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

Last update for Saintes: October 27, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saintes
$717
Athens
$643 10.4% $74
Groceries & Markets
Saintes
$364
Athens
$312 14.2% $52
Eating Out
Saintes
$307
Athens
$272 11.4% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Saintes
$183
Athens
$161 11.6% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saintes
$179
Athens
$255 42.4% $76
Getting Around
Saintes
$68
Athens
$45 32.8% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Saintes
$56
Athens
$71 28.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $691 in Saintes and $740 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Saintes vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $312 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Saintes
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
08:39 8:39 AM
09:39 9:39 AM
1 h ahead of Saintes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
25,518
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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saintes Athens 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Saintes
  • 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
Saintes vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Saintes or Athens?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Saintes. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Saintes and in Athens?
You’d need roughly $2,808 in Saintes and $2,639 in Athens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Saintes compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $691 in Saintes versus $740 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Saintes and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66 versus $68 in Saintes. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Saintes compared to Athens?
All in, you’ll spend $1,872 per month in Saintes versus $1,759 in Athens – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Saintes or Athens?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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