Living in Athens

In Athens, unemployment is 14.3% (2021).

Athens is the national capital of Greece. Athens had a population of 637,798 in 2021. The city covered 39 km² in 2024. Population density was 16,500.8 people per km² in 2024. The bachelor’s-or-higher share was 29.2% in 2021. The high-school-or-higher share was 66.9% in 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-1022 sources

Population637,798people2021Official source · Resident population by gender in the 10 largest municipalities; Athens

Average gross salary2,193EUR/month31 Dec 2022Regional figureOfficial source · Mean annual earnings by NUTS 1 region - NACE Rev. 2, B-S excluding O (2022)

Average net rent9.3EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2025Commercial source · RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025

Unemployment rate14.34%country median 13.6% — 6% aboveOfficial source · Official statistics: unemployment rate

Recorded crime3,126incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2024Regional figureOfficial source · A4. Offences committed by General Police Directorates and Regional General Police Directorates (2000–2024)

PM2.5, annual mean12.8µg/m³2024Official source · EEA city air-quality dataset

Which Greece-wide rules apply when you move to Athens?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in GreeceNational rates and thresholds that apply in Athens.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Owner occupation accounted for 53% of homes in October 2021. The city had 320,047 dwellings in 2021.

How much does it cost to rent in Athens?

Average net cold rent is 9.3 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

Average net rent (nettokalt): 9.3 EUR/m²/month · RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025²²

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€510

Utilities, 85 m² flat€193

Fitness club€47

Internet, 60 Mbps€34

Transport pass€27

Mobile plan, 10 GB€15

Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club. The others are published prices.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	47.42 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Athen²⁰Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Grocery basket, monthly	74.07 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	33.9 EUR/month	31 Oct 2026	Residential rate plans and offers, tariff table dated 2 February 2026¹⁹Official · national market
Private kindergarten, monthly	510.1 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Athen²⁰Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	15 EUR	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Athen²⁰Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	14.5 EUR/month	31 Oct 2026	EETT 360º tariff comparison — mobile offers⁷Official · national market
Monthly transport pass	27 EUR/month	26 Jul 2026	Prices of Products¹⁷Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	192.9 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Athen²⁰Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	320,047 dwellings	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: dwellings¹⁰Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)	9.3 EUR/m²/month	31 Dec 2025	RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025²²Commercial estimate · Supplemental context

Is Athens a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker59%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 48–70%

Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on safety · range 48–68%

Student58%strong on cost, weak on work · range 48–68%

Family46%strong on safety, weak on education · range 35–57%

Retirement52%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 40–64%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 558 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 9.3 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2025

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 14.3% in October 2021. The employment rate was 85.7% in October 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Athens?

The unemployment rate is about 14.3 % (October 2021).

Unemployment rate: 14.34 % · Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁴

Unemployment across cities in GreeceUnemployment in Athens is 14.3%. Of 274 cities with data, 210 have unemployment of 10 to under 20%.

210

0–1010–2020–3030–4040–5080–90

Athens 14.3%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average gross earnings	2,193 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Mean annual earnings by NUTS 1 region - NACE Rev. 2, B-S excluding O (2022)⁹Official · regional context
Public employment offices	3 count	15 Sept 2026	DYPA — KPA2 office locator⁴Official
Employment rate	85.66 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁴Official
Unemployment rate	14.34 %country median 13.6%	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁴Official

What does a salary buy in Athens?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€203of €1,029 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions.	€1,029
Rent, 60 m²€9.30/m² · market price · RE/MAX Greece · 2025-12-31	− €558
Public transport pass€27 · official · Prices of Products · 2026-07-26	− €27
Utilities, 85 m²€193 · market price · Lebenshaltungskosten in Athen · 2026-07-31	− €193
Internet€34 · official · Residential rate plans and offers, tariff table dated 2 February 2026 · 2026-10-31	− €34
Mobile plan€15 · official · EETT 360º tariff comparison · 2026-10-31	− €15
Left over	€203

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Athens Salary needed to live in Athens

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents with high school education or higher	66.91 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: g07 bachelors or higher share pct¹²Official
School enrolment, share of residents	13.84 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁴Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 4 to 15. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Reception classes for pupils with insufficient Greek (ZEP measures). How to enrol a child (minedu.gov.gr).

A country-wide rule for Greece; Athens's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2026.

Safety

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	3,126 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2024	A4. Offences committed by General Police Directorates and Regional General Police Directorates (2000–2024)¹Official · regional context

Mobility and administration

A vehicle was available to 51.5% of households in October 2021.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	104 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁵Official
Nearest airport	ATH	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁶Official
Distance to nearest airport	20 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁶Official
Public transport monthly pass	27 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Athens. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Preparatory Greek-language classes for migrants and refugees in Second Chance Schools — State Language Course

General Secretariat for Vocational Education, Training and Lifelong Learning — Ministry of Education

For legally resident migrants, refugees aged 18 or over who meet the Second Chance School conditions.

GreekIn Person

Open official information

Open the full Greece section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Athens.

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 10.2°C in January and 27.8°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 45.2 mm in January and 5.6 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 12.8 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual NO₂ was 32.5 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Athens?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12.8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA city air-quality dataset⁶

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

13°7°

14°7°

16°9°

19°12°

24°16°

28°20°

32°23°

31°23°

28°20°

23°16°

19°12°

15°9°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

130

136

183

231

291

336

363

341

276

208

153

127

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.512.8WHO 5 · EU 25

NO₂32.5WHO 10 · EU 40

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	32.5 µg/m³	2024	EEA city air-quality dataset⁵Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	12.8 µg/m³	2024	EEA city air-quality dataset⁶Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 13.4 · Feb 13.9 · Mar 15.8 · Apr 19.4 · May 24 · Jun 28.5 · Jul 31.6 · Aug 31.4 · Sep 28.2 · Oct 23 · Nov 18.9 · Dec 15.2 °C	31 Dec 1990	DWD climate table — Athens Airport (Hellinikon), 1961-1990³Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 7 · Feb 7.3 · Mar 8.6 · Apr 11.7 · May 15.8 · Jun 20 · Jul 22.8 · Aug 22.6 · Sep 19.7 · Oct 15.5 · Nov 12 · Dec 8.9 °C	31 Dec 1990	DWD climate table — Athens Airport (Hellinikon), 1961-1990³Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 10.2 · Feb 10.5 · Mar 12.4 · Apr 16 · May 20.6 · Jun 25 · Jul 27.8 · Aug 27.6 · Sep 24.3 · Oct 19.3 · Nov 15.4 · Dec 12 °C	31 Dec 1990	DWD climate table — Athens Airport (Hellinikon), 1961-1990³Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 45.2 · Feb 47.8 · Mar 44.3 · Apr 24.8 · May 14.4 · Jun 6 · Jul 5.6 · Aug 8.1 · Sep 9.7 · Oct 47.8 · Nov 50.8 · Dec 66.3 mm	31 Dec 1990	DWD climate table — Athens Airport (Hellinikon), 1961-1990³Official
Average sunshine by month	Jan 130.2 · Feb 135.5 · Mar 182.9 · Apr 231 · May 291.4 · Jun 336 · Jul 362.7 · Aug 341 · Sep 276 · Oct 207.7 · Nov 153 · Dec 127.1 hours	31 Dec 1990	DWD climate table — Athens Airport (Hellinikon), 1961-1990³Official

Annual PM2.5 over time10 published observations, 2013–2024

9.8

10.9

12.1

13.2

12.820132017201920212024

Annual PM2.5 rose 28.0% between 2013 and 2024, from 10.0 to 12.8.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Athens?

The published population was 637,798 people in 2021. Source: Resident population by gender in the 10 largest municipalities; Athens¹⁸

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport79.1%
Foreign residents20.9%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	39 km²	2024	Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024 dataset⁸Official
Foreign-resident share	20.75 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: foreign-resident share¹¹Official
Foreign residents	133,528 people	22 Oct 2021	City of Athens strategic plan 2024-2028²Official
Population density	16,501 people/km²	2024	Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024 dataset⁸Official
Population	637,798 people	2021	Resident population by gender in the 10 largest municipalities; Athens¹⁸Official

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Owner-occupied homes	53.05 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: dwellings¹⁰Official
Labour force participation rate	50.18 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁴Official
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher	29.17 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: g07 bachelors or higher share pct¹²Official
Households with a vehicle available	51.52 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: g09 households with vehicle available pct¹³Official

Alternatives for people set on Athens

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Heraklion as an Athens alternative in the same country

Better on 5 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,906 Heraklion vs 3,126 Athens−39%
Foreign residents: 5.3% Heraklion vs 20.8% Athens−74%
Rent: €8.00/m² Heraklion vs €9.30/m² Athens−14%
Unemployment: 12.7% Heraklion vs 14.3% Athens−11%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €173 Heraklion vs €193 Athens−10%
A meal out: €13 Heraklion vs €15 Athens−13%

Full comparison More about Heraklion

Vilnius as an Athens alternative in another country

Better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Rent: €12.16/m² (2024) Vilnius vs €9.30/m² (2025) Athensno percentage
Nearest airport: 6.0 km Vilnius vs 20.0 km Athens−70%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,929 (2025) Vilnius vs 3,126 (2024) Athensno percentage
A meal out: €12 Vilnius vs €15 Athens−20%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €199 Vilnius vs €193 Athens+3%

Full comparison More about Vilnius

Alternative cities in Greece

Other cities in Greece to compare with Athens, nearest in population first.

All Greece cities

Thessaloniki319,045 residents Patras215,922 residents Heraklion179,302 residents Pátra170,755 residents Piraeus168,151 residents Larissa164,095 residents

How does Athens compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Athens's.

Open the full comparison

Athens in rankings

#1 of 30 in Largest cities in Greece #24 of 30 in Most densely populated cities #28 of 30 in Cities with the lowest published annual rainfall

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Athens when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Athens's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Athens?

The published population was 637,798 people in 2021. Source: Resident population by gender in the 10 largest municipalities; Athens.

How much does it cost to rent in Athens?

Average net cold rent is 9.3 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 651 EUR a month before utilities. Source: RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025.

Is the air quality good in Athens?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12.8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA city air-quality dataset.

What is the unemployment rate in Athens?

The unemployment rate is about 14.3 % (October 2021). Source: Official statistics: unemployment rate.

How many foreign residents live in Athens?

133,528 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: City of Athens strategic plan 2024-2028.

Is Athens a good place to live?

Athens may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Athens, Greece: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version ed64ea9248dc2b2659c072e5e1fe63c0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/gr/athens/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_athens-greece-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_066fcb5c4503,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Athens, Greece: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {ed64ea9248dc2b2659c072e5e1fe63c0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/gr/athens/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Athens, Greece: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/gr/athens/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version ed64ea9248dc2b2659c072e5e1fe63c0; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

A4. Offences committed by General Police Directorates and Regional General Police Directorates (2000–2024) lms.statistics.gr · checked 2026-09-25
City of Athens strategic plan 2024-2028 cityofathens.gr · checked 2026-07-18
DWD climate table — Athens Airport (Hellinikon), 1961-1990 DWD climate table · dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
DYPA — KPA2 office locator DYPA · www2.dypa.gov.gr · checked 2026-09-15
EEA city air-quality dataset tableau-public.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
EEA city air-quality dataset tableau-public.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
EETT 360º tariff comparison — mobile offers EETT 360º tariff comparison · eett.gr · checked 2026-10-09
Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024 dataset gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
Mean annual earnings by NUTS 1 region - NACE Rev. 2, B-S excluding O (2022) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-24
Official statistics: dwellings statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18

Show 12 more sources

Official statistics: foreign-resident share statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: g07 bachelors or higher share pct statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: g09 households with vehicle available pct statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: unemployment rate statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Prices of Products oasa.gr · checked 2026-07-26
Resident population by gender in the 10 largest municipalities; Athens lms.statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-16
Residential rate plans and offers, tariff table dated 2 February 2026 cosmote.gr · checked 2026-10-09
Lebenshaltungskosten in Athen de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-26
Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025 RE/MAX Greece · remax.gr · checked 2026-07-29

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