Whether you’re planning a holiday or hoping to stay for an extended period, this guide to the cost of living in Athens will help you budget accordingly. A breakdown of accommodation, food, drink and sightseeing prices provides a guide on how much spending money to take for a holiday in Athens while average grocery prices and travel costs are also included for those looking to move there.
Cost of living in Athens:
Accommodation
With most holidaymakers flocking to the Greek islands in the summer months, accommodation in Athens is surprisingly affordable, which helps to keep the cost of living down. For a relatively average Airbnb, you can expect to pay around €800-€900 for a month while large apartments with added features such as sun terraces, balconies and ultra-modern interiors cost around €1200 per month. Considering the city is a prime summer destination and a gateway to the Greek islands, these prices are incredibly reasonable.
Eating and drinking
Food
While there are some cheap eats to be found, eating out in Athens is rather expensive by Greek standards, especially if you’re in the tourist district of Plaka. When having just a main course with one alcoholic drink, you can expect to pay between €15 and €20 per person.
Exact costs:
Two beers and two burgers (no fries) at Warehouse: €34
Two beers, one bah mi baguette and one hot dog at Six D.o.g.s: €21.50
Large gyros at a kebab shop: €4.40
Two moussaka and a large water at Diogenis, Plaka: €19
Two burgers with fries, one beer and one water at Pax Burgers: €27.30
Six Dogs
Drink
Similarly, alcohol in Athens falls at around the mid-range price point of European cities with the average beer costing between €4.5 and €5 and a glass of wine costing around €6. Coffee is more reasonable with trendy coffee shops offering double shot cappuccinos for around €2.
Exact costs:
A bottle of beer at A for Athens rooftop bar: €6
A large bottle of pilsner at Six D.o.g.s: €5
A large draught beer at Closer Revisited: €5
A small draught beer at Closer Revisited: €3.50
A large draught beer at Warehouse: €4.50
A glass of wine at Tanini Agapi Mou: €5.50-€6
A double shot cappuccino at Kaldi: €2
Sightseeing
Visiting the Acropolis of Athens will most likely be your biggest sightseeing expense in Athens, but a combined ticket that includes entry to the Acropolis and six other historic sites across the city can help keep costs down.
Acropolis Museum:
€10
The Acropolis of Athens:
€20 in the summer (1st April to 31st October) and €10 in the winter (1st November to 31st March)
Combined Acropolis ticket:
€30 all-year-round. This is valid for five days and includes entry to seven attractions in total with a choice between the Acropolis (including the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the North and South Slopes) and other major archaeological sites such as Hadrian’s Library, the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora and the Olympieion, where the Temple of Olympian Zeus can be found.
Individual prices:
Ancient Agora: €10 in the summer, €5 in the winter
Hadrian’s Library: €6 in the summer, €3 in the winter
Olympieion (Temple of Olympian Zeus): €8 in the summer, €4 in the winter
Kerameikos: €8 in the summer, €4 in the winter
The Archaeological Site of Lykeion: €4 in the summer, €2 in the winter
Free attractions in Athens:
The likes of Mount Lycabettus, Strefi Hill and Filopappou Hill are all free to climb and provide some of the best sunset views of Athens while wandering through the pretty neighbourhoods of Plaka, Anafiotika, Psiri and Monastiraki are one of the best ways to see the city without spending any money.
Anafiotika 
Psiri
Travel
As with most destinations around the world, your transport to and from the airport is likely to be your biggest travel cost and Athens is no different with a pricey set tariff on taxis and a fixed rate on the airport metro and bus. Aside from that, however, travelling around Athens is relatively affordable.
The taxi to/from the airport:
€38 between 5am and midnight and €54 between midnight and 5am
The metro to the airport:
€10
The bus to the airport:
€6
Public transport (buses, metro and tram):
€1.4 for a 90-minute ticket
€4.5 for a 24-hour ticket
€22 for a 3-day tourist ticket
€9 for a 5-day ticket
€22 for a 3-day tourist ticket, which includes a return ticket to the airport
A taxi from the city centre to a local neighbourhood such as Neapoli:
Around €5
The fast ferry to Aegina:
€28 for a return ticket
Groceries
With a limited number of large supermarkets, grocery shopping in Athens can be quite tricky with a trip to several small stores needed to find everything on your shopping list. This can lead to an increase in the cost of living if you don’t plan accordingly. When eating a mainly vegetarian diet with a small amount of meat and fish, you can expect to pay around €40 to €50 for a week’s food shop for two people.
No Comments