Cost of Living Comparison Between Santorini and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between Santorini and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,146 in Santorini versus $1,705 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,116 in Santorini versus $2,630 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,086 in Santorini versus $3,556 in Athens.

Living in Santorini is roughly 26% more expensive than in Athens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santorini 61% above, Athens 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 €17.27

$17.05 €14.90

15.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 €79.0

$63.6 €55.5

42.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.07 €14.04

$10.28 €8.98

56.32%

Cappuccino

$4.71 €4.12

$4.37 €3.81

7.78%

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

$3.81 €3.33

$2.39 €2.08

59.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.22

$0.67 €0.59

108.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 €5.05

$5.68 €4.96

1.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.47 €6.52

$5.65 €4.94

32.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.83

$1.92 €1.68

8.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.37 €1.19

3.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 €2.96

$2.81 €2.46

20.64%

Eggs

$6.82 €5.96

$5.12 €4.48

33.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.85 €12.98

$14.81 €12.94

0.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 €6.75

$11.29 €9.86

-31.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.32 €14.26

$15.18 €13.27

7.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$2.20 €1.92

28.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.98

$2.07 €1.80

9.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.58 €1.38

8.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.36 €2.06

44.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.23

$1.41 €1.23

81.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.18 €1.03

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 €0.82

$1.23 €1.07

-23.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$1.02 €0.89

-34.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 €5.97

$5.59 €4.88

22.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 €5.09

$10.05 €8.78

-41.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.03 €1.78

1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.59

$2.86 €2.50

3.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.36 €1.18

100.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.00

$34.50 €30.14

32.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.93

$4.61 €4.02

-2.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.94 €12.18

$17.13 €14.96

-18.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.04 €1.78

6.86%

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

$31.7K €27.7K

$29.1K €25.4K

9.00%

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

$26.3K €22.9K

$29.6K €25.8K

-11.20%

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

$324 €283

$217 €190

49.23%

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

$45.62 €39.86

$27.37 €23.91

66.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.07 €29.76

$34.44 €30.09

-1.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 €71.7

$56.6 €49.46

44.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.84 €22.58

$26.46 €23.11

-2.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 €6.14

$10.43 €9.11

-32.69%

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

$627 €548

$561 €490

11.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,010 €5,251

$11.1K €9,678

-45.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 €60.9

$92.1 €80.5

-24.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 €45.15

$46.84 €40.92

10.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 €68.6

$100 €87.6

-21.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €100

$120 €105

-4.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 €436

$650 €568

-23.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$787 €687

$572 €500

37.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,171

$1,188 €1,038

12.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 €924

$1,014 €886

4.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,168 €4,515

$4,057 €3,545

27.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,425 €2,992

$3,221 €2,814

6.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,232 €1,077

$1,327 €1,159

-7.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.15

4.99

-16.83%

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

Last update for Santorini: July 12, 2026

Last update for Athens: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $499 in Santorini and $650 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Santorini vs $64.0 in Athens. Groceries flip the comparison at $309 vs $312, with Santorini cheaper for home cooking.

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

Santorini vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Santorini. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $499 in Santorini versus $650 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $90.0 in Santorini. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,146 per month in Santorini versus $1,705 in Athens – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,705 in Athens versus $2,146 in Santorini, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Santorini. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,705 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Santorini 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Santorini. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.