Cost of Living Comparison Between Summerville, SC and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between Summerville, SC and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,109 in Summerville, SC versus $1,847 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,602 in Summerville, SC versus $2,850 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,094 in Summerville, SC versus $3,854 in Athens.

Living in Summerville, SC is roughly 68% more expensive than in Athens, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Summerville, SC 126% above, Athens 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.03 $18.03

$17.76 €15.28

1.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.2 $84.2

$70.6 €60.8

19.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$11.81 €10.17

2.96%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$4.35 €3.75

20.46%

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

$2.87 $2.87

$2.93 €2.52

-2.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.60 €0.52

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$5.97 €5.14

2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 $7.06

$5.71 €4.91

23.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.99 €1.72

-51.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.49 €1.29

114.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.07 $7.07

$2.98 €2.56

137.25%

Eggs

$4.11 $4.11

$4.80 €4.13

-14.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 $12.81

$15.42 €13.27

-16.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.69 $10.69

$11.35 €9.77

-5.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 $15.24

$19.05 €16.39

-20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.24 €1.93

136.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.01 €1.73

-35.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$12.01 $12.01

$1.48 €1.27

711.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.51 $9.51

$2.20 €1.89

332.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.13 €0.97

227.43%

Onion (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$1.22 €1.05

455.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.23 €1.06

53.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.92 €0.79

204.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.28 $7.28

$5.86 €5.05

24.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.37 €8.93

16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.12 €1.83

-12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.77 €2.39

-26.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.42 €1.22

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.51 $30.51

$31.93 €27.48

-4.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$4.60 €3.96

-23.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.06 €0.92

45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.65 $32.65

$17.70 €15.23

84.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$2.32 €1.99

-65.95%

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

$31.1K $31.1K

$28.8K €24.7K

8.09%

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

$23.5K $23.5K

$29.3K €25.3K

-20.05%

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

$155 $155

$224 €193

-30.98%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$27.25 €23.44

165.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 $78.8

$32.13 €27.65

145.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.85 $32.85

$55.0 €47.29

-40.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.00 €24.95

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 $11.09

$10.88 €9.36

1.93%

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

$1,485 $1,485

$612 €527

142.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K $21.8K

$13.3K €11.5K

63.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$94.9 €81.7

-42.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.70 $43.70

$41.67 €35.86

4.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 $97.2

$107 €92.0

-9.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$132 €114

-10.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 $2,115

$769 €662

174.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 $1,727

$663 €571

160.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,826 $3,826

$1,348 €1,160

183.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,079 $3,079

$1,196 €1,029

157.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,076 €3,508

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,519 €3,028

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,871 $4,871

$1,313 €1,130

271.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

4.43

39.28%

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

Last update for Summerville, SC: August 30, 2026

Last update for Athens: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,115 in Summerville, SC and $769 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Summerville, SC pays 271% 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: $84.0 in Summerville, SC vs $71.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $325 per month, with Athens 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

Summerville, SC vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 68% 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.

Average pay runs 271% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,115 in Summerville, SC versus $769 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 $71.0 versus $84.0 in Summerville, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,109 per month in Summerville, SC versus $1,847 in Athens – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,847 in Athens versus $3,109 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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,847 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

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.

Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Summerville, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.