International School of Athens
American
Confirmed on its own website
Cost of Living inAthens, Greece
Attica, Greece3.6MCapitalHigh incomeRemote-work friendly
Image credit: acediscovery
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Your money goes 1.63x further
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Greece: $38,219/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 44% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Overall
1.8x further
Prices are 44% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Rent
5.7x further
Prices are 82% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Groceries
1.9x further
Prices are 47% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Restaurants
1.6x further
Prices are 36% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Income Category
High
World Bank GNI
GDP per Capita
$38,219
PPP, International $
City Population
3.6M
Monthly Costs
Rent
1BR City Center$711/mo
1BR Outside Center$600/mo
3BR City Center$1,321/mo
3BR Outside Center$1,086/mo
Food
Cheap Meal$17
Milk (1L)$1.77
Bread (500g)$1.51
Eggs (12)$4.64
Transport
Taxi per km$1.08
Gasoline (1L)$2.05
Utilities
Basic (85m² apt)$201/mo
Internet (60+ Mbps)$34/mo
Child Education
Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost — the two paths a relocating family weighs.
Public schools
This describes Greece as a whole. Enrollment rules and school quality can vary within the country, so check with schools in Athens.
Quality
Mixed public schools
Assessment snapshot: 2022
Expat access
Resident families can use it
conditionalInstruction
Greek
Local-language fluency usually matters.
PISA / outcomes
445
Well below OECD avg
PISA 2022 · OECD avg ~480
Why this quality rating
Greek public schools are functional and free but vary significantly by district. Class sizes are large, infrastructure is aging, and English-medium instruction is limited. Private and international schools are the typical choice for expat families.
Why the expat-access rating looks like this
Foreign resident families can enroll, but instruction is in Greek and the practical fit for non-Greek-speaking children is low without significant language support.
⚠️ Homeschooling
Technically possible, rarely practicedRegistration requiredCurriculum approvalPeriodic assessment
Greek law allows homeschooling in exceptional circumstances (health, disability, geographic isolation). Getting approval for lifestyle/pedagogical reasons is very difficult. Most expat families in Greece use private or international schools instead.
Homeschool legality in Greece — check current regulations before committing.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
International & private schools
1 confirmed school
7 more suggested by AI, not verified
Typical fee
$13,245/yr
one school's published fee
- American1
Schools' websites are found with Wikidata and OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), and each is checked on the school's own site.
Childcare & Domestic Help
Current nanny and household-help pricing snapshot for Athens, Greece.
Full-time nanny (5 days)
$900-$1,200
monthly · confidence 0.65
Live-in / 24-7 nanny
$1,600-$2,100
monthly · confidence 0.65
Source: curated family relocation research
Getting Around
The concrete mobility picture for Athens: airport access, urban transit, and rideshare practicality.
Walkability score: 68/100 (transit supported). This is derived from the verified mobility profile and is used by the walkability gate.
Walkability
68/100
mobility profile transit backbone
Airport
Major international gateway
Athens International is Greece’s main air hub and gives the city broad European coverage plus useful long-haul service.
Urban transit
Metro, suburban rail, tram, and bus
metrocommuter railtrambus
Athens has a credible rail-and-tram backbone that makes many practical districts workable without a car.
Rideshare
Taxi-first, Uber app coverage
The Uber app still works as a practical taxi-hailing layer even though the market is more taxi-led than in stronger open-rideshare cities.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Greece.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
4 facilities tracked
Facilities updated 7 months ago
Healthcare system
StrongGood national coverage, strong doctor availability, and solid hospital-bed capacity support this rating.
Public care
MixedCountry-level outcomes are comparatively strong support this rating.
Private care
LimitedThe tracked private-style network still looks thin and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
77/100
2023
Physicians
6.58/1k
2022
Hospital beds
4.27/1k
2022
Out of pocket
34%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
81.8 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
5/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
2.2/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedCountry-level outcomes are comparatively strong help, but price transparency is still sparse.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Pharmacy: 3Doctor: 1
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Greece yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
επί Λόγω επί Έργο
Doctor
Φαρμακείο Γαϊτανής Βασίλειος
Pharmacy
Μπέκας Μ. Αναστάσιος
Pharmacy
Arriani Pharmaceuticals S.A.
Pharmacy
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-11-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Safety Index45/100
Crime Index55/100
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
Political Stability+0.15
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2024 annual wages in Athens, Greece · Source: ELSTAT (region-adjusted)
Price Comparison vs. US
bread 500g
$1.51Estimated55% cheaper
budget hotel
$215.93Survey-verified495% more
childcare preschool
$545.92Estimated65% cheaper
eggs dozen
$4.64Estimated4% cheaper
gasoline liter
$26.51Survey-verified2474% more
inexpensive meal
$16.44Survey-verified22% cheaper
internet 60mbps
$33.88Estimated50% cheaper
luxury hotel
$215.93Survey-verified55% cheaper
milk liter
$1.77Estimated45% more
monthly pass
$26.51Survey-verified62% cheaper
rent 1br
$834.07Survey-verified54% cheaper
rent 3br
$1320.97Estimated59% cheaper
taxi km
$1.08Estimated42% cheaper
utilities basic
$201.18Estimated6% cheaper
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
visa freeUp to 90 days
US passport holders can stay up to 90 days without a visa.
Long-Term Visa Programs
digital nomad
Digital Nomad Visa
12 monthsRenewableMin. $3,500/mo income
Migrated from legacy digital_nomad_visas row 5
retirement
FIP Residence Permit Greece
12 monthsRenewable
investment
Greece Golden Visa Real Estate (250K)60 monthsRenewablePath to residency
investment
Greece Golden Visa Real Estate (500K)60 monthsRenewablePath to residency
investment
Greece Golden Visa Real Estate (800K)60 monthsRenewablePath to residency
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Athens compared with the US?
Your money goes about 1.6x further in Athens than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate.
Is Athens cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Athens is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 44% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Athens.
How does rent in Athens compare with New York City?
Rent in Athens is about 82% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City).
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Athens?
Groceries in Athens are about 47% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 36% cheaper than the same benchmark.
About Athens
Athens is the capital of Greece, sprawled across the Attic basin between Mount Hymettus and the Saronic Gulf, and stands as the political, financial, and academic center of a country still working its way out of the post-2010 debt crisis. The local economy combines tourism, shipping management for the world's largest merchant fleet, and a recently revived tech and startup scene around the Stavros Niarchos Foundation cultural center. Relocators get a Mediterranean climate, the EU's Golden Visa pathway tied to property investment, and dense ferry connections across the Aegean, but should weigh persistent summer heatwaves that now regularly exceed 40 Celsius, occasional wildfire smoke episodes, and a public-sector bureaucracy that remains slow despite digital reforms.
Mediterranean climate: hot, dry summers (35-40°C) and mild wintersExcellent WiFi in coworking spaces and cafés; home connectivity variable by areaStrong expat and digital nomad community with established networkingHighly walkable city center with Plaka district and public transportWorld-class food scene: fresh Mediterranean cuisine and taverna cultureLegendary nightlife: clubs, rooftop bars, and late-night culture (1-4am closing)Growing coworking scene: multiple spaces with community and affordable ratesSafe for foreigners in main neighborhoods; avoid certain outer areas at night
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