Europe · Athens
Cost of living in Greece
Greece is 44% cheaper than the US, ranking #71 of 203 countries we cover for cost of living.
World Bank data through 2024 · last reviewed 2026-06.
What drives the cost here
Price levels by category, where the world average = 100. Above 100 is pricier than the global norm; below it is cheaper.
In Greece, communication is the priciest category relative to the world (207), while health is the most affordable (88).
Category price levels: World Bank ICP 2021 (world average = 100) · source
What your money is worth here
A $100,000 US lifestyle would cost roughly $56,500 in Greece.
Quality of life
94/100 · #40 of 198Beyond cost — health, safety, and connectivity. The score is a transparent, equal-weight composite of the verified metrics below (see methodology).
About Greece
Greece won independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830 and became a kingdom. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and other anti-communist and communist rebels.
Read the full background
The communists were defeated in 1949, and Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a military coup forced the king to flee the country. The ensuing military dictatorship collapsed in 1974, and Greece abolished the monarchy to become a parliamentary republic. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001. From 2009 until 2019, Greece suffered a severe economic crisis due to nearly a decade of chronic overspending and structural rigidities. Beginning in 2010, Greece entered three bailout agreements -- the first two with the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF; and the third in 2015 with the European Stability Mechanism -- worth in total about $300 billion. The Greek Government formally exited the third bailout in 2018, and Greece's economy has since improved significantly. In 2022, the country finalized its early repayment to the IMF and graduated on schedule from the EU's enhanced surveillance framework.
Background from the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived 2026-06-03.
Frequently asked
Is Greece expensive to live in?
Greece is 44% cheaper than the US, ranking #71 of the 203 countries we track. Its most expensive category relative to the world is communication; health costs the least.
How much money do you need to live in Greece?
A lifestyle that costs $100,000 in the United States would cost roughly $56,500 in Greece, going by overall price levels. The salary translator turns your own figure into a local equivalent.
Is Greece cheaper than the United States?
Yes. Its overall price level is 56.4, against 100 for the United States.
What is the quality of life in Greece?
Greece scores 94 out of 100 on our quality-of-life index (#40 of 198), a composite of life expectancy, safety, health, and connectivity, with life expectancy around 82 years.
Every number, sourced.
We cite the exact source and year for each figure. Derived values are computed at build time, never hand-entered.
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