Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Marino and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marino: $1,146 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. The total is higher in Athens despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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San Marino

🇸🇲 San Marino

$1,146

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,146 in San Marino versus $1,806 in Athens.

San Marino $1,146
Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in San Marino versus $2,731 in Athens.

San Marino $1,613
Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,080 in San Marino versus $3,656 in Athens.

San Marino $2,080
Athens $3,656

Living in San Marino costs roughly 37% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Marino is 14% below, Athens is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.85

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €79.6

$66.2 €59.0

34.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 €8.04

$11.06 €9.86

-18.44%

Cappuccino

$1.64 €1.46

$4.14 €3.69

-60.39%

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

$2.25 €2.01

$2.80 €2.50

-19.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.17

$0.57 €0.51

129.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.13

$5.64 €5.03

1.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.04

$5.46 €4.86

23.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.74

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.25

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

Eggs

$5.04 €4.49

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.68

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.22

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.92

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.38 €1.23

18.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.57 €25.47

$30.87 €27.52

-7.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.94 €9.76

$4.37 €3.90

150.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.04 €0.93

39.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.08 €22.36

$17.11 €15.26

46.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.58

$2.31 €2.06

-23.38%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

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

$28.0K €25.0K

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

$112 €100

$210 €187

-46.46%

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

$26.70 €23.80

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.36 €29.74

$30.13 €26.86

10.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.68

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.71 €24.71

$26.03 €23.21

6.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.61

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

$575 €513

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 €68.8

$93.2 €83.1

-17.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.34 €29.73

$40.68 €36.27

-18.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.9 €50.7

$128 €114

-55.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 €703

$756 €674

4.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 €709

$652 €582

21.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 €914

$1,294 €1,153

-20.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 €917

$1,163 €1,037

-11.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,574

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,078

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,794 €3,382

$1,243 €1,109

205.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for San Marino: October 3, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Marino

–

Athens

$652 36.5%

Groceries & Markets

San Marino

–

Athens

$315 17.6%

Eating Out

San Marino

–

Athens

$269 15%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Marino

–

Athens

$267 14.9%

Clothing & Footwear

San Marino

–

Athens

$165 9.2%

Sport & Entertainment

San Marino

–

Athens

$76 4.3%

Getting Around

San Marino

–

Athens

$46 2.6%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in San Marino and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Marino pays 205% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $89.0 in San Marino vs $66.0 in Athens for two.

Good to know

🇸🇲 San Marino

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

06:02 6:02 AM

1 h ahead of San Marino

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000 Capital

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Marino Athens 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

San Marino
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

San Marino vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Marino wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Marino the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 205% higher in San Marino, 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: $789 in San Marino versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,146 per month in San Marino versus $1,806 in Athens – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Marino runs roughly 8% less than in Athens. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,146 in San Marino versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Marino but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes San Marino the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Marino delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,146 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Marino hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Marino 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 San Marino gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.