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Athens vs Heraklion cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฌ๐ท Athens
๐ฌ๐ท Heraklion
At a glance
- Where Heraklion is clearly cheaper: SIM card (33%โ), Entry ticket (33%โ), Studio rent (month) (31%โ)
- Where Athens is clearly cheaper: Laundry (67%โ), Massage (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Athens 2 vs Heraklion 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Athens | Heraklion | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 13$15.1 | โฌ 12$14 | Heraklion โ8% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | Heraklion โ12% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 25$29.1 | โฌ 25$29.1 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 4$4.65 | Heraklion โ20% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 10$11.6 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Heraklion โ10% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.6$0.7 | โฌ 0.5$0.58 | Heraklion โ17% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 7$8.14 | โฌ 7.5$8.72 | Athens โ7% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 5$5.81 | similar |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | โฌ 1.3$1.51 | Athens โ8% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 25$29.1 | โฌ 25$29.1 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 100$116 | โฌ 90$105 | Heraklion โ10% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 650$756 | โฌ 450$523 | Heraklion โ31% |
| Laundry | โฌ 3$3.49 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Athens โ67% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 10$11.6 | Heraklion โ33% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 13$15.1 | โฌ 12$14 | Heraklion โ8% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 40$46.5 | โฌ 50$58.1 | Athens โ20% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 45$52.3 | โฌ 40$46.5 | Heraklion โ11% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 30$34.9 | โฌ 20$23.3 | Heraklion โ33% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Athens or Heraklion?
Heraklion is 9% cheaper than Athens. Daily budget $222 vs $209; a month $3,419 vs $3,011.
Which is easier to travel, Athens or Heraklion?
About the same: Athens 2.2/5, Heraklion 2.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Athens and Heraklion?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Athens is about $3,419 and Heraklion about $3,011 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.