Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Summerville, SC and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,771 a month against $3,309 in Summerville, SC, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Summerville, SC
🇺🇸 United States
$3,309
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,309 in Summerville, SC versus $1,771 in Athens.

  • Summerville, SC $3,309
  • Athens $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,939 in Summerville, SC versus $2,736 in Athens.

  • Summerville, SC $4,939
  • Athens $2,736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,569 in Summerville, SC versus $3,701 in Athens.

  • Summerville, SC $6,569
  • Athens $3,701

Living in Summerville, SC is roughly 87% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Summerville, SC 144% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Summerville, SC
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.67 $17.67
$16.83 €14.97
4.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.1 $99.1
$68.2 €60.7
45.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.10 $12.10
$11.43 €10.17
5.86%
Cappuccino
$6.78 $6.78
$4.06 €3.61
67.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 $3.29
$2.74 €2.44
20.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 $2.08
$0.53 €0.47
292.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.72 $8.72
$5.69 €5.06
53.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.04 $8.04
$5.68 €5.06
41.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Summerville, SC
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.85 €1.64
-44.86%
White Bread (500g)
$4.30 $4.30
$1.44 €1.28
198.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.44 $6.44
$2.82 €2.51
128.37%
Eggs
$3.29 $3.29
$4.86 €4.32
-32.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.52 $15.52
$15.27 €13.58
1.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$24.81 $24.81
$10.36 €9.21
139.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.76 $23.76
$19.10 €16.99
24.40%
Apples (1kg)
$8.01 $8.01
$2.22 €1.98
260.81%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.92 €1.71
4.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$8.90 $8.90
$1.41 €1.25
531.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.91 $7.91
$2.04 €1.82
287.75%
Potato (1kg)
$3.82 $3.82
$1.05 €0.93
263.81%
Onion (1kg)
$4.63 $4.63
$1.17 €1.04
295.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.17 $3.17
$1.08 €0.96
193.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.60 $2.60
$0.84 €0.75
209.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.59 $11.59
$5.49 €4.89
111.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.77 $12.77
$10.17 €9.05
25.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$2.13 €1.90
15.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 $2.33
$2.28 €2.03
2.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Summerville, SC
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.67 $0.67
$1.37 €1.22
-51.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.90 $29.90
$29.71 €26.43
0.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.06 $5.06
$4.39 €3.90
15.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.00 €0.89
53.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.48 $34.48
$16.63 €14.79
107.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 $0.84
$2.38 €2.11
-64.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K $30.7K
$28.4K €25.3K
8.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K $33.9K
$27.2K €24.2K
24.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Summerville, SC
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$215 $215
$203 €181
5.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$95.7 $95.7
$26.79 €23.83
257.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$82.6 $82.6
$30.16 €26.82
174.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Summerville, SC
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.56 $33.56
$53.7 €47.74
-37.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$26.40 €23.48
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.03 $15.03
$10.59 €9.42
41.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Summerville, SC
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,502 $1,502
$566 €504
165.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.9K $21.9K
$12.9K €11.4K
70.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Summerville, SC
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.5 $55.5
$89.1 €79.3
-37.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.74 $43.74
$40.48 €36.01
8.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.6 $95.6
$104 €92.3
-7.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 $119
$124 €111
-4.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Summerville, SC
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,106 $2,106
$729 €648
188.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,757 $1,757
$647 €576
171.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,862 $3,862
$1,328 €1,181
190.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,054 $3,054
$1,169 €1,040
161.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,024 €3,579
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,483 €3,098
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Summerville, SC
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,942 $4,942
$1,240 €1,103
298.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
4.48
48.88%

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

Last update for Summerville, SC: October 18, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Summerville, SC
$1.8K
Athens
$647 63.2% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Summerville, SC
$568
Athens
$312 45% $256
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Summerville, SC
$393
Athens
$260 33.8% $133
Eating Out
Summerville, SC
$340
Athens
$271 20.5% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Summerville, SC
$141
Athens
$161 14.1% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Summerville, SC
$64
Athens
$75 17.7% $11
Getting Around
Summerville, SC
$45
Athens
$45 1.6% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,106 in Summerville, SC and $729 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Summerville, SC pays 299% 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: $99.0 in Summerville, SC vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $568 vs $312 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Summerville, SC
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
03:37 3:37 AM
10:37 10:37 AM
7 h ahead of Summerville, SC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
50,738
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Summerville, SC Athens 8,880 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Summerville, SC
  • 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
Summerville, SC vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Summerville, SC or Athens?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Summerville, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Summerville, SC or in Athens?
Average pay runs 299% higher in Summerville, SC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Summerville, SC compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,106 in Summerville, SC versus $729 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Summerville, SC and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $99.0 in Summerville, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Summerville, SC compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $3,309 per month in Summerville, SC versus $1,771 in Athens – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Summerville, SC or in Athens?
At $1,771 in Athens versus $3,309 in Summerville, SC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Summerville, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Summerville, SC or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,771 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Summerville, SC compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Summerville, SC 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Summerville, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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