Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Greece

Name: Greece
Address: GR

For one person, living is cheaper in Greece: $1,530 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Greece
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Greece Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Greece

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Greece actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $1,530 in Greece.

United States $2,734
Greece $1,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $2,338 in Greece.

United States $3,985
Greece $2,338

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $3,146 in Greece.

United States $5,235
Greece $3,146

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $1,037–$2,142 in Greece. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 79% more expensive than in Greece on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 101% above, Greece 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$16.48 €14.76

21.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$55.5 €49.69

44.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$11.00 €9.85

7.27%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.89 €3.49

42.67%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$2.46 €2.21

8.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.63 €0.56

244.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$5.74 €5.14

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$5.61 €5.02

41.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.75 €1.56

-40.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.42 €1.27

152.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.57 €2.31

75.88%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$4.54 €4.07

-5.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$13.68 €12.25

-3.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$10.28 €9.21

22.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$15.57 €13.95

13.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.20 €1.97

140.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.96 €1.76

-13.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.49 €1.33

197.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.09 €1.88

128.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.20 €1.07

147.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.14 €1.02

176.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.07 €0.96

105.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.83 €0.75

183.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$5.46 €4.89

101.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$9.01 €8.07

67.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.97 €1.76

4.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.73 €2.45

38.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.37 €1.23

41.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$33.37 €29.88

77.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.49 €4.02

-20.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.09 €0.98

72.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$16.48 €14.76

81.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.22 €1.99

-54.05%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$28.1K €25.2K

2.38%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.3K €23.6K

-0.39%

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

$218 $218

$209 €187

4.40%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$24.10 €21.58

159.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$31.62 €28.32

135.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$47.95 €42.95

-12.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$22.90 €20.51

-0.39%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$10.07 €9.01

45.98%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$435 €390

242.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$9,696 €8,683

160.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$86.6 €77.6

-37.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$40.65 €36.41

5.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$96.2 €86.2

-2.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$116 €104

-2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$558 €500

197.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$440 €394

206.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$944 €845

184.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$765 €685

183.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$3,088 €2,765

6.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$2,368 €2,121

4.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$1,109 €994

287.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.54

44.27%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Greece: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Greece

$440 28.8% 67.3% $907

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Greece

$292 19.1% 29.7% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Greece

$265 17.3% 25.5% $90

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Greece

$264 17.2% 19.5% $64

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Greece

$153 10% 11.5% $16

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Greece

$49 3.2% 39.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Greece

$68 4.5% 4.5% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $507 in Greece. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $740 in Athens.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $1,079 in Greece. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 220% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 44% more in the United States.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 4.2 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇬🇷 Greece

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

08:01 8:01 AM

7 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

10,482,487

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

United States Greece 9,170 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Greece

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

United States vs Greece: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,530 per month in Greece and $2,734 in the United States, Greece comes out about 44% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Greece: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $507 in Greece. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Greece, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Greece wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.