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Ashley Metcalfe
June 17, 2024
Thinking of living in Athens, Greece?
There’s a lot you should know before making the leap. Athens is usually the first stop for most visitors to Greece. But it’s so much more than that – it’s the capital city of Greece where commerce, tourism and culture thrive.
30 million visitors visit Greece every year (pre-pandemic), making Athens one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Iconic landmarks like the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora, the temple of Zeus, Mars hill call Athens home.
It’s easy to fall in love with a city when you’re on vacation or if you’re on you’re honeymoon like we were. Those rose-colored glasses come on and all of a sudden, you’re wondering ‘how can I live in Athens?’.
But does Athens really live up to the hype? We visited Athens for the first time during our honeymoon and we loved it so much, it became a dream of ours to live in Athens as digital nomads. So we did, 2 years later for about 2 months and…
…we have some thoughts.
Here’s an honest guide on what it’s REALLY like living in Athens and the pros vs cons you need to seriously think about first.
Quick Overview Of Life In Athens
Summary: Living in Athens is like a dream come true with scrumptious Greek food around every corner, historical landmarks in your backyard and easy access to some of the most beautiful islands. But it’s not perfect. There are some serious pros and cons to consider before living in Athens.
Here’s a quick glance at what life in Athens could be like:
- One of the best diets in the world – Mediterranean cuisine and all its goodness will be easily available to you. Greek food in general is just one of the best cuisines out there.
- The official language is Greek and they use their own Greek alphabet. However, a lot of people can speak English. As a popular tourist destination, quite a few signs can also be found in English.
- Greek people are very friendly. Once you make the effort to get to know them, they will make you feel at home.
- The weather is pretty great (especially for Europe). You’ll get warm summers and only mild winters. The average temperature in Athens during winter is around 48.3 F ( 9 C).
- The city is a little quirky-looking. The architecture (other than the iconic landmarks) isn’t anything special. They are modern apartment housing and often can look a little grungy with all the graffiti on them.
…and that’s just the tip of what living in Athens could be like.
The Pros vs Cons Of Living In Athens, Greece
Are you dreaming of living in Athens but you’re just not quite sure?
That’s totally normal! If you’ve never been to Athens or if you’ve only been for a short time, it’s easy to have rose-colored glasses on. Every place looks and feels better when you’re on vacation, am I right?
When we first came to Athens, we were on our honeymoon. It all looked and felt so magical but that’s easy to think when you are on a dream honeymoon! We found ourselves quickly falling in love with Athens as a city and thought to ourselves ‘could we live here someday?!’
That’s the main reason we came back a few years later to live in Athens for 2 months as digital nomads and really test the waters. While we had an amazing time, we quickly realized there are just some things that got to us.
Eventually, those rose-colored glasses started falling off…but not completely! Continue reading to understand the honest pros and cons of living in Athens, Greece that made us think twice and might help you make a better decision for yourself!
The Pros Of Living In Athens, Greece
There’s a lot to love about living in Athens. It’s a top destination in the world for all kinds of travelers! There’s honestly something for everyone in the Greek capital – amazing food, ancient architecture, interesting history and so much more.
Here are the pros of living in Athens, Greece.
1. High Quality Of Life
The Athenian life is an amazing one because they emphasize family time, happiness, and quality friendships over material things. When you visit the more local areas around Athens, you will see a lot of old men sitting down to have coffee with friends for hoursss. I would go to my pilates class for about an hour or more and the same group of men would be sitting at the cafe still having a good ole laugh!
When you’re living in Athens, your life isn’t all about work! This is a welcome change coming from the US where work and productivity are super important. While it’s good to have a balance, it’s nice to see the other side which we believe can make your quality of life higher on some ways too.
The quality of life in Athens is quite high, here are some of the reasons:
- access to quality care and health services
- a delicious (and healthy) Mediterranean diet
- a safe city to wander about
- and a decent public transport system
The quality of life that you get while living in Athens is pretty great especially since we think you get great value for money. The next point will explain what I mean a little more.
2. Affordable Cost Of Living
We think that the cost of living in Athens is very affordable considering you are living in a modern, European city with access to decent healthcare, good public transport and great produce for your groceries.
Our personal cost of living in Athens was $2,196 USD for both Matthew and me to live, enjoy and mostly eat our way through the city. I’ll be honest this is one of the most expensive cost of living guides we’ve shared but that’s only because it was our first European city as digital nomads. Since then, we have lived in more European cities and it’s by far one of the best value for money!
We paid $932 USD for a one-bedroom apartment in a good area called Pagrati about 20 minutes walk from the city center. As a digital nomad, your accommodation will be higher than expats that have actually moved to Athens. If you stay long-term (a year or more), you can find an apartment for even less!
The main culprit for our cost of living being so high is that we balled out on dining out. We absolutely love Greek food and couldn’t control ourselves lol. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of affordable options – a gyro wrap is only $3 USD. It’s easy to dine out for less than $25 USD for both of us, we just happen to do that a lot!
Once you’ve sorted your apartment, most things in Athens are affordable. It’s much cheaper to eat out, grab a drink at a bar, and take public transport (or even Uber) than it would be in cities like Paris or Amsterdam.
3. Capital City = Easy Access
If you live in a capital city in most countries in the world – you have access to all that you need. Whether that’s shopping for clothes, tech or the ease of visiting the bureaucratic buildings to process any necessary papers. Living in a major city in Athens means you also have quick access to a big, international airport that has flights to a ton of destinations worldwide.
When you live on the islands of Greece, you get the peace of being far away from everything. However, it’s much more of an effort to get things done! You’ll always have to add a flight or ferry to your route if you leave the country, everything moves much slower on the islands and even things like the best medical facilities are probably in Athens.
This is definitely a good reason to live in Athens over the islands of Greece!
4. Fresh, Mediterranean Food
Greek food, period. That’s it, that’s all I need to say about it.
Kidding! But seriously…
If you love Mediterranean food, you’re going to love living in Athens. I’m not quite sure how to explain it but the food is just SO fresh. The feta cheese is obviously amazing, the vegetables are high quality and the variety of meat plus seafood you can get is decent!
There’s something for every kind of mood you’re in:
- Want to grab a quick bite? Get a gyro on the street.
- Want to wine and dine? Reserve a beautiful meze spot.
- Want to drink with some views? Go to a rooftop bar.
- Want a unique bar experience? Head to a speakeasy.
We absolutely loved the dining out experience in Athens. We got to have a couple of nice dinners with views of the Acropolis which is just one of a kind. But we also enjoyed plenty of cheap gyros that satisfied our tastebuds.
You won’t get bored with the diversity of restaurants while living in Athens!
5. Tons Of Things To Do
Athens may not be the most beautiful city in the world but it certainly isn’t the most boring city!
If you’re a tourist, there’s a huge number of things to tick off your list. When you are a digital nomad, expat or living in Athens – the kinds of things you do can change. Of course, you’ve got to hit all the major sites…but then what?
There’s still plenty to discover while living in Athens! You have more than one of the top 50 bars in the world – a popular one is called Baba Au Rum. There are speakeasy bars scattered all across the city – you’ll have to find them!
Not a fan of drinking? There are so many good restaurants – you have a variety of Greek food and international food. The options are endless and the dining experiences are great in Athens. We’ve had gyros on the street and beautiful dinners with a view of the Acropolis – the range you can get is great!
Love history? There are cool museums to visit to learn about the history of Greece, the culture of Greek people and more.
Bottom line: There’s something to do for everyone living in Athens!
6. Getaways To Dreamy Greek Islands
Athens is a great travel hub which is why a lot of people base themselves in this Greek capital city.
You can easily take a plane or a ferry to the beautiful Greek islands. There are just so many options for weekend trips to islands like Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Milos, Hydra and so many more. When we were living in Athens, we spent our wedding anniversary in Crete! We took an early flight out from Athens on a Friday, made it to Crete by the morning and we returned to Athens by Monday morning. It was easy, cheap and it wasn’t that time-consuming!
If you want to fly out to other European cities like Barcelona, Lisbon or Amsterdam – it’s easy enough to get to the airport from the city. The best thing is that it was also very cheap. Athens seems to have pretty good flight routes and prices to nearby countries.
Athens is a great city if you like to have weekend getaways or easy access to cities (or even countries) nearby!
7. Incredible History All Around You
Do you love to learn about history?
Living in Athens would be a dream for you! You’ve got the Acropolis as the beautiful beam of the city and so much more including:
- Temple of Zeus
- Hadrian’s Arch
- Ancient Agora
- Temple of Athena Nike
- Aeropagus Hill and
- Panathenaic Stadium
More than that, you have so many surrounding areas to explore as well as cool ruins, landmarks and archaeological sites to learn about. Athens is a great base if you love road trips – there are so many cool cities to explore like Corinth, Kalamata, Meteora and so much more!
The Cons Of Living In Athens, Greece
Now you know the long list of pros about living in Athens but that’s just one side of the story.
There are definitely some serious cons to consider before you make the move. We lived in Athens for 2 months and we absolutely loved it! Don’t get us wrong, it’s an amazing city and we would go back any opportunity we get.
None of these cons should stop you from visiting Athens but we do want you to get the complete picture.
Here are the cons of living in Athens, Greece.
8. Athens Is Kinda Grungy, ngl
When you imagine European cities, you think of clean, beautiful architecture around every corner right?
That’s true in countries like France, the Netherlands and Belgium but Athens? Not so much! Sure, you have the archaeological sites and iconic landmarks scattered around the city but…
…that’s about it! The rest of the city is full of apartment buildings with cute balconies and usually a whole lot of graffiti on them. It’s honestly not the most aesthetically-pleasing place and possibly why a lot of people are surprised by Athens at first.
Greece has gone through a lot with some crises and financial problems which have affected the way the city has grown and the big crowds of people that have flocked to this Greek capital.
The buildings are a little worse for wear and it’s just not grand, intricate architecture all around. It’s kind of run-down and looks like a pretty average city!
You just have to be there and see it for yourself!
9. It Can Feel Chaotic
There’s so much more traffic, people and things going on in the city. It makes sense as it is the capital of the country where business, commerce and politics take place.
You’ll see a lot of cars, motorbikes and different types of public transport options getting caught in traffic. The drivers aren’t as aggressive or unorderly as say Bali but it can feel chaotic in the moment.
It’s also good to keep in mind that Athens is a top tourist destination in the world which means you will get a huge influx of tourists during peak season. If crowds give you too much anxiety, the islands might be a better option for you than Athens.
10. Beaches Nearby Aren’t Great
Yes, Athens does have beaches!
You can easily take the tram from the city center to popular beach suburbs like Edem, Glyfada and more. However, they obviously don’t compare to the stunning beaches on islands like Milos or Paros.
The beaches near Athens are a little more touristy, crowded, overpriced and just not that relaxing. We went one afternoon to Edem beach which was only a 40-minute tram ride away. We spent a couple of hours laying out, getting a tan and having a swim! It definitely does the trick if you’re craving the beach or ocean but it’s just not the best.
11. Living Costs Are Rising
The affordable cost of living in Athens might be changing.
With the current economic climate, the cost of living is only going to continue to rise in Athens. This is definitely something to keep in mind before living in Athens. We didn’t feel like it was a big increase but it can affect you when you’re looking for a decent apartment at an affordable price.
The biggest shock to your cost of living in Athens will be the rental prices. If you rent on Airbnb, you’ll see the prices continue to rise. We paid around $923 USD for our one-bedroom apartment in 2021 and that same apartment is now around $1,658 USD in 2023.
Most things like groceries, coffee, and public transport only go up by a little bit each year. It seems like the cost of living a few years back was much lower than other European cities.
That’s starting to change but it’s not as high as living in Paris or Rome still. If these rising costs concern you, you might not want to live in Athens for very long.
12. Big Crowds In Peak Season
Athens is a top tourist destination in the world. I haven’t heard someone bucket list without ever mentioning Athens (or Greece in general).
If you’re thinking of living in Athens, you have to just accept that! There are going to be tons of tourists and crowds around because it’s such an iconic travel destination.
If you’re not a fan of huge crowds but love the Greek culture, read our blog on Athens vs Thessaloniki. The second largest city in Greece might be a better fit for you!
12. Slower Pace Of Life
If you are used to walking faster, paying faster, getting to and from faster and just overall moving a little bit faster…
…Athens might annoy you a little. Everything moves a little slower and it’s probably because of that Mediterranean lifestyle. It’s great in some ways to teach you to slow down and enjoy yourself. But when you want to hurry?
Forget about it! Whether that’s processing your papers at the City Hall or asking for your bill at a restaurant (it can take over 10 minutes just to wait for your bill). That’s the thing – you can’t really rush things in Athens!
The Mediterranean lifestyle also means things aren’t always going to be open or even have predictable opening hours. The Athenian lifestyle can mean you eat lunch around 2pm to 4pm and have dinner around 9pm – 11pm. You’ll also find people shutting for their siesta time – like telephone stores. We tried to buy Greek SIM cards and we went after (our usual lunchtime) around 1pm and they were shut! They reopened around 4pm – that’s just how it works there and it can be an adjustment.
This slower pace of life is definitely something you might need to get used to but after a few weeks, you might even find yourself enjoying it!
Why We Chose To Live In Athens For 2 Months
Matthew and I visited Athens for the first time during our honeymoon. We stepped off the plane, walked forever to get the baggage off the plane and finally stepped out of the airport. We could feel the sun on our skin, and see this unique, dry landscape for the first time. We just couldn’t contain our excitement.
From that moment, we decided we wanted to come back and try living in Athens as digital nomads for a month or two – and that’s exactly what we did 2 years later!
To be honest, we didn’t really have many expectations before visiting Athens and I feel that’s why it didn’t really disappoint us. One thing that did stand out to us was that it felt all a little grungy. Especially if you come from any of the Western European countries like France or Spain where the architecture is beautiful around every corner.
I can’t say it’s like that in Athens, there are more modern buildings than there are these beautiful architectural/historical landmarks. They also usually have some form of graffiti on them which adds to the edginess of the city.
With that aside, we did REALLY enjoy living in Athens. It’s very easy, the locals are friendly, the food is unreal and it’s a great lifestyle! Especially with the islands just a ferry or flight away.
Is Living In Athens Good For Digital Nomads, Expats Or Travelers?
Athens looks and feels different to certain types of travelers. For some, it’s just a base for a few days till they can catch the ferry to the Greek islands. For others, it’s a deep dive into history and culture. For those living in Athens, it’s a city they call ‘home’.
There are pros and cons of living in Athens that you should consider. You can always find the good and the bad in a certain location – there’s no perfect place! Trust us, we’ve been traveling full-time since 2018 and every place we’ve been hasn’t been perfect in every way.
We loved living in Athens for 2 months as digital nomads. It surprised us in many ways but to be honest, also disappointed us in a couple of ways. We think it’s a great place to live if you absolutely adore Greece and you want to be in a central location with easy access to the airport/ferry port.
The biggest downside for us came down to the fact we don’t think we could stay any longer than 2 months. It could just be our feeling and digital nomad tendency to want to leave after a few weeks. I feel the lack of architecture and beauty can wear on you at times but then you just look at the Acropolis and it all just melts away.
You’ll just have to visit Athens, experience it for yourself and see what pros vs cons you enjoy (or can put up with)!
Have you tried living in Athens, Greece? What are your thoughts? Comment below and let us know!
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