Athens at a glance
- Athens is the most expensive of Greece's 7 priced cities: $1,432 a month in essentials, 34% above Patras at $1,071.
- The average net salary of $1,334 covers that 0.9×.
- 103.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at regional unit level.
- PM2.5 averages 12.9 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 7 Greece cities we track, so every row says whether Athens is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,432 | $1,281 | $151 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $620 | $502 | $118 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $742 | $644 | $98 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $161 | $161 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $363 | $346 | $17 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $257 | $254 | $3 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $31 | $58 | 1.87× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,334 | $1,185 | $150 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,096 | $1,035 | $61 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,355 | $1,131 | $224 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Athens, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $17.29 | $17.29 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $69.15 | $57.63 | $11.52 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $10.66 | $10.37 | $0.29 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $4.22 | $4.15 | $0.07 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $5.76 | $5.65 | $0.11 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.76 | $5.19 | $0.57 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.76 | $2.48 | $0.28 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.61 | $0.72 | $0.11 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.91 | $1.80 | $0.11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.51 | $1.50 | $0.01 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $3.01 | $3.01 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $4.62 | $4.62 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $15.18 | $15.18 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $11.12 | $10.88 | $0.24 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.29 | $2.35 | $0.06 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.04 | $2.25 | $0.21 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.21 | $2.02 | $0.19 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.16 | $1.24 | $0.08 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.16 | $1.17 | $0.01 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.93 | $0.93 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.38 | $1.50 | $0.12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $31.12 | $57.63 | 1.85× as much |
| Taxi start | $4.47 | $4.32 | $0.15 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.09 | $1.15 | $0.06 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $2.32 | $2.20 | $0.12 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $224.78 | $222.63 | $2.15 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $32.28 | $31.31 | $0.97 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $26.24 | $24.40 | $1.84 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $54.66 | $54.66 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $10.37 | $9.22 | $1.15 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Athens has 103.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (regional unit level). That is the 4th-highest of 8 Greece cities we track. Greece's national figure is 107.2, so Athens runs 4 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Athens ranks against every city we track
Athens sits ahead of 50% of the 545 cities we track on local salary. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 46% of 553. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 20% of 562.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Athens sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0.
