Cost of Living Comparison Between Tupelo, MS and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between Tupelo, MS and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in Tupelo, MS versus $1,728 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,483 in Tupelo, MS versus $2,680 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,124 in Tupelo, MS versus $3,632 in Athens.

Living in Tupelo, MS is roughly 7% more expensive than Athens, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tupelo, MS 37% above, Athens 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 $16.61

$17.57 €14.95

-5.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 $63.0

$64.6 €55.0

-2.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$10.36 €8.82

-4.05%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$4.34 €3.69

11.98%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$2.46 €2.09

-5.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.63 €0.54

203.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$5.85 €4.98

1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 $7.02

$5.73 €4.88

22.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.91 €1.63

-52.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.41 €1.20

137.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.87 €2.45

-48.78%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$4.97 €4.23

-13.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 $12.43

$14.95 €12.72

-16.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$11.01 €9.37

-31.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.51 $15.51

$15.09 €12.84

2.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.23 €1.90

36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.17 €1.85

-47.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.58 €1.35

122.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.28 €1.94

-7.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.36 €1.16

166.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.17 €1.00

88.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.23 €1.05

49.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.04 €0.89

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.09 $8.09

$5.54 €4.72

46.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.99 €10.20

18.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.03 €1.72

-18.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.00 €2.55

5.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.37 €1.16

42.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.00 €29.79

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 $4.95

$4.67 €3.97

6.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.07 €0.91

62.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.81 $17.81

$17.08 €14.54

4.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$2.07 €1.76

-63.29%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$29.0K €24.7K

22.99%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$30.2K €25.7K

-11.46%

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

$178 $178

$217 €185

-18.27%

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

$50.1 $50.1

$27.75 €23.61

80.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$35.02 €29.80

97.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.84 $39.84

$56.7 €48.26

-29.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.04 €22.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.27 $9.27

$10.39 €8.84

-10.78%

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

$991 $991

$564 €480

75.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,411 $8,411

$11.1K €9,469

-24.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.51 $42.51

$92.5 €78.7

-54.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.06 $37.06

$47.26 €40.22

-21.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 $87.1

$98.8 €84.1

-11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$120 €102

5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 $1,395

$645 €548

116.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 $755

$561 €477

34.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 $1,523

$1,195 €1,017

27.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,785 $2,785

$1,037 €883

168.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,477 $1,477

$4,220 €3,591

-65.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,458 $1,458

$3,598 €3,062

-59.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,633 $2,633

$1,333 €1,135

97.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.99

31.26%

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

Last update for Tupelo, MS: April 14, 2026

Last update for Athens: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,395 in Tupelo, MS and $645 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tupelo, MS pays 98% 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: $63 in Tupelo, MS vs $65 in Athens. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $316, with Athens 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

Tupelo, MS vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Tupelo, MS. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Tupelo, MS pays 98% more on average, 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: $1,395 in Tupelo, MS versus $645 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $991 in Tupelo, MS versus $564 in Athens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $63.0 in Tupelo, MS. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,728 in Athens versus $1,843 in Tupelo, MS, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Tupelo, MS. 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 $1,728 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tupelo, MS 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 7% less than in Tupelo, MS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.