Cost of Living Comparison Between Sparta and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between Sparta and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,357 in Sparta versus $1,834 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,011 in Sparta versus $2,859 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,664 in Sparta versus $3,884 in Athens.

Living in Sparta costs roughly 26% less than in Athens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sparta is 2% below, Athens is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 €9.16

$17.70 €15.26

-39.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.83 €42.09

$70.5 €60.8

-30.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.57 €7.39

$11.65 €10.05

-26.44%

Cappuccino

$3.40 €2.93

$4.33 €3.74

-21.48%

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

$2.37 €2.04

$2.97 €2.56

-20.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.58 €0.50

3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.64 €4.00

$5.86 €5.05

-20.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.06

$5.73 €4.94

-17.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.96 €1.69

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.55 €1.34

-2.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$2.91 €2.51

-14.78%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.54

$4.63 €3.99

13.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 €10.36

$15.76 €13.58

-23.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 €8.69

$11.01 €9.49

-8.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 €12.75

$19.10 €16.46

-22.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.24 €1.93

4.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.92

$2.10 €1.81

5.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.47 €1.27

18.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.21 €1.90

-10.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.16

$1.18 €1.01

13.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 €0.80

$1.16 €1.00

-19.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.96 €0.82

-5.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 €4.68

$5.69 €4.91

-4.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.90 €5.94

$10.52 €9.07

-34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.23 €1.92

-21.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 €3.11

$2.77 €2.39

29.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.38 €1.19

-1.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.25 €42.46

$31.98 €27.56

54.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 €3.94

$4.67 €4.02

-2.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.06 €0.92

10.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.00 €11.21

$17.34 €14.95

-25.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.92

$2.33 €2.01

-4.72%

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

$26.4K €22.7K

$28.6K €24.7K

-7.86%

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

$24.0K €20.7K

$29.6K €25.5K

-18.77%

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

$165 €142

$229 €197

-27.96%

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

$23.27 €20.06

$28.03 €24.16

-16.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.58 €25.50

$32.16 €27.72

-8.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 €44.77

$56.5 €48.67

-8.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 €22.40

$28.28 €24.38

-8.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.26 €7.98

$10.97 €9.46

-15.59%

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

$247 €213

$597 €515

-58.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,910 €2,508

$13.6K €11.7K

-78.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 €61.4

$93.6 €80.6

-23.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.10 €31.12

$41.65 €35.91

-13.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 €69.7

$106 €91.3

-23.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 €79.4

$134 €115

-31.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 €438

$739 €637

-31.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 €350

$662 €570

-38.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 €666

$1,340 €1,155

-42.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 €450

$1,173 €1,011

-55.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,855 €2,461

$4,006 €3,453

-28.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,456 €2,117

$3,438 €2,964

-28.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$980 €845

$1,293 €1,115

-24.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.36

4.37

-0.23%

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

Last update for Sparta: September 7, 2026

Last update for Athens: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Sparta and $739 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 32% 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: $49.00 in Sparta vs $71.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $325 per month, with Sparta cheaper across the board.

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

Sparta vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sparta wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sparta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 32% 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: $508 in Sparta versus $739 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sparta – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $71.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,357 per month in Sparta versus $1,834 in Athens – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,357 in Sparta versus $1,834 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sparta but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Sparta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sparta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,357 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sparta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sparta 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 Sparta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.