Cost Of Living In Athens Greece In 2024

This guide on the cost of living in Athens Greece will help you get an idea of estimated monthly costs. Updated for 2024.

What is the cost of living in Athens?

The cost of living in Athens Greece is much lower when compared to many other European capitals. This guide will be useful if you are considering to move to Athens in the near future.

I’m an Athenian and have been living in Athens for several decades. In my opinion it’s a great place to live. It combines a vibrant city center with quieter suburbs, plus plenty of opportunity for nature. It offers easy access to many of the Greek islands, as well as several countries in Europe and the rest of the world. 

While prices in Athens have gone up, especially in the past 5-10 years, living here can still be quite affordable. So, here is some information to help you decide if the cost of living in Athens suits your budget.

This guide has last been updated in April 2024.

Central Athens vs the suburbs

First of all, let’s define what “Athens” means. Usually, when we talk about Athens, we are referring to the greater metropolitan area of Athens, which includes a few dozens of suburbs.

The city center itself, also known as the Municipality of Athens, is fairly compact. This is where the famous ancient monuments are located, and where most tourists choose to stay when they visit Athens for a few days. This is also where most of the Airbnbs in Athens are located.

Key areas in the center include Plaka, Monastiraki, Koukaki, Syntagma, Psiri, Kolonaki, Thisseio, Petralona, Pagrati and Kypseli. There are also neighborhoods, such as Sepolia, Agios Panteleimonas or Patisia, that are generally considered to be on the rough side.

During the last census (2011), about 664,000 people lived in downtown Athens.

The suburbs of Athens are home to about 3 million people. Some of them are so big that they would almost qualify as “nearby cities”.

Many of the suburbs, like Glyfada, Faliro, Piraeus, Rafina or Nea Makri, are on the coast. Others, like Kifissia, Pefki, Peristeri, Ilion or Ilioupoli, are a fair distance from both the centre and the coast.

The amount of money you will need to live comfortably in Athens and the suburbs will ultimately depend on your needs and lifestyle, and there are many factors that will affect it. Let’s break costs down using the local currency in Greece, the euro.

1. Estimated monthly cost for rent in Athens

Let’s start with accommodation, which can easily be your single biggest cost. Housing prices in Athens and the suburbs have been going up in the last few years, and are generally higher than in the rest of the country.

The most common type of accommodation in Athens and the suburbs are apartment buildings / condos. The Greek word for a block of flats is polykatoikia. The number of apartments varies, and often depends on the area.

Rent prices in Athens will depend on several factors, such as the following:

• the area
• the size, floor and age of the apartment
• private parking space
• independent heating
• double-glazed windows / security door
• any recent renovations.

Some areas are more expensive than others. For example, Kolonaki (right under Lycabettus Hill), Koukaki, Glyfada and Kifissia are some of the most expensive areas in the capital. As a rule, the newer the apartment, and the more amenities, the more expensive it will be.

Renting an apartment in Athens

Overall, 500-600 euros per month would find you a decent two-bedroom apartment in many areas in Athens. For a one-bedroom apartment, expect to pay around 350-400 euros per month, though finding one at a lower cost might be possible.

If you are only one person, you could probably find a studio (garsoniera) in some areas for about 250-300 euro, but you’d have to think carefully if that’s where you’d like to stay. Some neighborhoods in Athens might be less desirable to live than others depending on the type of person you are.

By comparison, family apartments and maisonettes could easily cost you well over 1,000 – 1,500 euro per month. And, as an extreme, asking prices for newly built properties in some areas can be a whopping 2,000 – 3,000 euro per month or more.

Flat search in Athens Greece

Spitogatos and XE are two great websites where you can look for flats or houses all around Greece, and compare prices. XE is in Greek only, and you may find more affordable properties.

FB groups are also a good way to find flats, including houseshares. Our Expats in Greece FB group is a good starting point.

If you are in Athens already, you can go around the neighbourhood with a Greek-speaking friend, and look out for the yellow “ΕΝΟΙΚΙΑΖΕΤΑΙ” (for rent) signs. This method might sound a little old-fashioned, but it still works.

I’ve listed more helpful resources in this article: Useful websites for expats in Greece.

Pro Tip: When looking at where to stay long term in Athens, keep in mind that rental prices for apartments are negotiable. You’ll have a much better chance of arriving at a lower deal than advertised if a Greek speaking friend does the talking!

2. Cost of utilities in Athens – Electricity, water, internet, heating

Apart from the rent, you will need to pay for utilities. Electricity, water and internet are standard expenses, and you will also need some form of heating. On top of that, most blocks of flats have a few shared bills. 

Some landlords might give you a rental price which includes some (or, rarely, all) of these bills. This is convenient if you are not sure how long you will be living in Athens for.

Overall, you should expect to pay around 150 – 350 euros a month for all your bills if you are renting a whole apartment, and less if you are sharing one. Let’s break down utility bills.

Electricity costs in Athens

Monthly electricity costs in Athens vary a lot. They generally depend on how much electricity you are using, but a part of your bill has to do with municipal taxes and other fees that have nothing to do with your actual consumption.

While all providers will charge a standard rate for your consumption, many of them often offer discounts, especially if you have a second contract (e.g. gas) through the same company.

As a couple working from home in a 75-square-meter flat, our monthly expenses for electricity in the last few years have averaged at about 50-65 euros. This includes the municipal fees and AC in the summer, but doesn’t take into account heating expenses.

Water bills

Water bills in Athens are paid three times a year, and are usually very affordable. We pay about 12-14 euro a month on average for the two of us.

Note: Your water consumption will depend on whether you have many plants, or whether you wash your balcony every other day.

Cost for Wi-Fi

Internet contracts in Greece start from about 25 euro / month, and you’d have to sign an initial contract for 24 months. Depending on the company and services you choose, there might be some extra costs when you first register.

Mobile phone costs

When it comes to mobile phones, there are all sorts of options out there. None of them are very cheap when compared to other countries. If you come from an EU country, check if you can keep your own provider and use EU-free roaming.

I have been using Cosmote WhatsUp (pay as you go) for several years. It costs me about 12 euro per month on average, and I’ve got all the minutes and GBs that I need. The main drawback if you don’t speak Greek, is that their app is only in Greek. 

Don’t worry though, other companies have translated everything in English. Here is a complete article on how to buy a SIM card for Greece.

Heating costs

People coming from cold climates often assume that heating is not needed in Athens. This couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact, houses in Greece can get very cold in winter, as good insulation is not always common.

View from my balcony, February 2020 – you bet we needed the heating!

Many apartment blocks have shared central heating, which uses either petrol or gas, and usually operates on some hours per day. This is often not enough, so you might need to use an electric radiator or AC on top of that.

Newer apartments might have independent heating, often operating with natural gas. This will of course give you an additional bill to pay.

Based on all the above, estimating your heating costs isn’t straightforward, as it will depend on so many factors. Plus, as you will know, gas prices have been fluctuating over the last few years.

As an example, our natural gas bill for December 2023 was 43 euro, in December 2022 it was 83 euro, in December 2021 it was 67 euro and in December 2020 it was 29 euro. Again, this is for a 75-square-meter flat, and as we work from home, we need the heating. On average, we spent 34.2 euro per month for natural gas for 2023.

I’m not complaining though, as I know someone who received an extravagant 800 euro bill for their (big) detached house just for the heating costs!

Shared building bills – Maintenance costs

On top of these utilities, most blocks of flats have some standard costs, which are divided among the tenants. These costs include the cleaner, gardener, elevator maintenance, electricity for the common areas (staircases, corridors) etc. We call them kinohrista.

It’s worth getting an indication of the shared building costs before you move in a new flat. As a rule, the more the properties in the apartment block, the lower the cost of the kinohrista. We pay about 35-40 euro per month for our own apartment, which is considered rather low. 

3. Cost for supermarket / groceries in Athens

Supermarket costs / groceries are another expense that you should budget for while living in Athens. This includes anything related to food, cleaning products, personal care etc.

If you know where to shop in Athens, food costs can be much cheaper than in other countries. You will get the best prices, and the freshest produce, at Varvakios food market and the weekly street market, or laiki, in every area of Athens.

Most supermarket chains, like MyMarket, AB, Sklavenitis, MarketIn or Bazaar, will put certain products on promotion every now and then. There is always Lidl, where you can get some inexpensive products.

As a couple, our food bills come to about 400-450 euro per month in total. This does not include alcoholic drinks or processed food such as cookies, biscuits etc, as we don’t consume those. A family of four should expect to pay at least about 800-900 euro per month.

Related article: Shopping in Athens

4. Transportation cost in Athens city center

Public transport can be a convenient way to move around Athens. Before you choose where to live, you should know that some areas of the city have better public transportation options than others.

Like other big cities in Europe, Athens has a good metro network. Here is some more information on how to use the Athens metro, along with maps. The metro is currently being extended to include more areas.

Other means of transport in the city include the suburban railway, which is connected to the metro system, buses, trolleys and the tram.

A monthly pass for all public transport in Athens only costs 27 euro. A single ticket for any means of transport costs 1.20 euro and is valid for 90 minutes.

As for the Athens airport metro, a single ticket costs 9 euro.

Finally, compared to many countries in Europe, taxis are relatively inexpensive. The minimum charge is about 3.50 euro, and you should expect to pay 4-6 euro for a 10-15 minute ride.

5. Athens cost for entertainment

And now, let’s have a look at entertainment costs. This includes going out to restaurants and tavernas, cafes, cinema, theatre, performances, nightlife etc.

Overall, restaurant prices can vary a lot. You can expect to pay about 5-10 euro per person for street food like souvlaki, and 15-20 euro for a hearty taverna meal with wine, beer or raki. Ethnic or gourmet restaurants will typically be more expensive.

A price for a seated coffee is generally around 3-4 euro, and coffee is a huge part of Greek culture. Beer or wine at a taverna start from about 3-4 euro, and a drink or cocktail at a bar or club would usually be at the range of 8-12 euro.

Obviously, the more upmarket you prefer your places to eat and drink, the more it will cost you!

Cinema tickets are 6-10 euro, while theater performances would typically cost from 10-12 euro upwards. Gigs and shows featuring international artists can cost a lot more.

With all that said, there are lots of free activities in and around Athens, like going to the beach or hiking around the mountains. Here are a few free things to do in Athens, to get you started.

6. Medical care in Athens Greece

Compared to other European countries or the USA, private health care in Greece is very affordable.

For people who are registered in the Greek system and have an AMKA number, a visit to a doctor can cost as low as 10 euro for certain services. An average price for a private visit is about 30-50 euro.

Like with other services, you will find that doctors in some areas of Athens are more expensive than others.

7. Education and schooling

If you are coming to live in Athens with your family, you will probably need to budget for education costs. While public schools in Greece are free, most expats choose private, international schools for their children.

Fees for these schools vary widely. As a rule of thumb, allow for 8,000 – 12,000 euro per child per year, and bear in mind that a discount is usually offered when there are siblings. 

As for homeschooling, it’s not an option in Greece if you are a tax resident here, though there are exceptions in special cases. You can read this discussion in our FB group for some insight. 

8. Other expenses

Apart from the above living costs, there will always be other things to consider. Here are a few examples:

• gym membership > varies a lot, usually 25-60 euro per month
• ladies’ haircut > 15-20 euro upwards
• cleaner’s hourly rate > 7-10 euro
• fuel for a car > 1.85 – 1.95 euro per litre (March 2024) 

If there are specific expenses you are interested in, please leave a comment down below, and I’ll add it to the list.

An overview of the cost of living in Athens

So, where does that leave you in terms of the total cost of living in Athens vs other cities?

All in all, a single person living in a shared flat could get by with 700-800 euro. However, they’d have to be rather frugal, and they wouldn’t be able to do too much.

A couple sharing a one bedroom apartment could live quite comfortably if they made 2,000 euro between them, depending on the area they wanted to live.

As for a family of four, estimated monthly costs could easily reach 4,000 – 5,000 euro, if you want to live in an expensive area and offer private education to your children.

FAQs about living in Athens

Here are some questions often asked by people considering to move to Athens:

Is it expensive to live in Athens?

Compared to other European cities, living in Athens is not expensive. The average cost depends on several factors, like the area you want to stay, the size of the apartment you want to rent, and how much you are planning to spend on entertainment.

What are some disadvantages of living in Athens?

Generally speaking, the cost of living in Athens is higher than most other places in Greece. This is mostly down to house prices, so it will depend on the type and size of flat you are looking to to rent. Another disadvantage is the summer heatwaves – which is why all Athenians escape to the islands!

Is English spoken in Greece?

English is widely spoken in Greece, especially in the tourist destinations.

Can you live in Greece without speaking Greek?

Generally speaking, it is possible to live in Greece without speaking Greek. However, as most services are not always available in other languages, you will probably need someone’s help when you first move here. In addition, not speaking the language might limit your opportunities to socialize with the locals.

Is Greece a good place for expats?

There are thousands of expats who moved to Greece and never looked back. The long summers, friendly people, delicious food, laid-back pace of life and proximity to other European countries continuously attract people from all over the world.

Cost of living in Athens Greece

By now, you should have a good picture of the cost of living in Athens. If you live here, please feel free to add your own experience and help more people. If you are thinking to move here and have any questions, leave a question down below and I’ll try my best to answer!

As a last tip, if you visited Athens and fell in love with it, remember that visiting Athens for a few days and moving to Athens are two entirely different things! So, if you are thinking of buying property, I would suggest renting somewhere in the area you are thinking to move, to see what it’s like actually living there.

Here are a few more articles that you might find helpful:

• How to open a bank account in Greece
• Tipping in Greece
• Best apps for Greece
• Our budget for one month travelling to the Greek islands
• The ultimate Greek food guide with 50 popular dishes
• The Greek alphabet and 20 useful words
• More useful words and phrases in Greek
• Now to buy a train ticket in Greece
• Driving in Greece

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Hi, I’m Vanessa! Over the past decades, I’ve lived in three different suburbs in Athens, and have Greek and expat friends living in several areas. Like anywhere in the world, moving to Athens can be a challenge, but it will reward you with fantastic experiences and new friends! Follow my FB page for more advice and tips on moving and travelling to Greece.