Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,082 in Varese, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Varese
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Varese Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Varese

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,082

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,082 in Varese versus $1,775 in Athens.

Varese $2,082
Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,466 in Varese versus $2,721 in Athens.

Varese $3,466
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,849 in Varese versus $3,666 in Athens.

Varese $4,849
Athens $3,666

Living in Varese is roughly 17% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varese 54% above, Athens 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.07 €19.63

$16.69 €14.84

32.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.9

$67.8 €60.3

49.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €12.37

$11.14 €9.91

24.87%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.95

$4.03 €3.58

-45.41%

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

$3.50 €3.11

$2.77 €2.46

26.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$0.55 €0.49

207.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 €5.84

$5.74 €5.10

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 €5.87

$5.45 €4.85

21.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.82 €1.62

-6.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 €2.30

$1.38 €1.23

87.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.80 €2.49

22.86%

Eggs

$5.11 €4.55

$4.83 €4.30

5.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.18 €27.73

$15.05 €13.39

107.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.83 €11.41

$10.63 €9.45

20.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.34 €24.32

$18.43 €16.39

48.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.20 €1.96

28.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$1.90 €1.69

46.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 €2.62

$1.37 €1.22

114.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$2.10 €1.87

55.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$1.08 €0.96

140.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$1.12 €1.00

99.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.12 €1.00

106.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.56

$0.88 €0.79

-28.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 €7.12

$5.48 €4.88

46.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 €7.78

$10.13 €9.01

-13.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.48

$2.13 €1.89

-21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$2.25 €2.00

-28.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 €2.29

$1.36 €1.21

88.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.71 €44.21

$29.89 €26.59

66.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 €4.98

$4.45 €3.96

25.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.02 €0.90

123.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.25 €34.92

$16.92 €15.05

131.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.25 €2.00

-4.89%

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

$36.5K €32.5K

$28.0K €24.9K

30.34%

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

$34.4K €30.6K

$28.2K €25.1K

21.89%

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

$220 €196

$205 €182

7.65%

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

$12.94 €11.51

$26.65 €23.71

-51.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 €28.73

$30.38 €27.02

6.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.89

$54.5 €48.47

0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.63 €21.91

$25.88 €23.02

-4.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 €9.94

$10.42 €9.27

7.20%

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

$733 €652

$569 €506

28.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,069 €6,288

$12.6K €11.2K

-43.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.3

$88.7 €78.9

20.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 €50.5

$40.46 €35.99

40.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 €117

$105 €93.3

25.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$121 €108

36.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 €838

$741 €659

27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 €631

$655 €582

8.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 €1,528

$1,300 €1,156

32.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,426

$1,148 €1,021

39.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,525 €2,246

$4,014 €3,570

-37.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 €1,519

$3,460 €3,078

-50.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,127

$1,242 €1,105

92.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

4.48

-16.74%

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

Last update for Varese: October 11, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varese

$709 34.1%

Athens

$655 36.9% 7.7% $55

Groceries & Markets

Varese

$434 20.8%

Athens

$310 17.5% 28.5% $124

Eating Out

Varese

$311 15%

Athens

$268 15.1% 13.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varese

$266 12.8%

Athens

$262 14.7% 1.5% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Varese

$208 10%

Athens

$160 9% 23% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Varese

$77 3.7%

Athens

$75 4.2% 2.6% $2

Getting Around

Varese

$77 3.7%

Athens

$45 2.5% 41.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $942 in Varese and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varese pays 92% 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: $101 in Varese vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $434 vs $310 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Varese

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

18:37 6:37 PM

1 h ahead of Varese

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,511

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Varese Athens 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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

Varese vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Varese. 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 92% higher in Varese, 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: $942 in Varese versus $741 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 $68.0 versus $101 in Varese. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,082 per month in Varese versus $1,775 in Athens – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,082 in Varese, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Varese. 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 $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Varese 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 17% less than in Varese. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.