✦ Compare
Athens vs
Lugano
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Athens, GR vs Lugano, CH at a glance — Lugano, CH is 97% more expensive than Athens, GR overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,800/mo versus $750/mo. Top income tax: 40% vs 44%.
To keep the same standard of living in Lugano, CH, you'd need
$147,576 / year
Lugano, CH is 97% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Lugano, CH vs Athens, GR)
- Housing+122%
- Food & groceries+92%
- Transport+109%
- Utilities+22%
- Healthcare+115%
- Goods & services+94%
◎ How Athens, GR and Lugano, CH compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Athens, GR | Lugano, CH | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 75 | 147 |
| Housing | 72 | 160 |
| Food | 78 | 150 |
| Transport | 55 | 115 |
| Utilities | 100 | 122 |
| Healthcare | 65 | 140 |
| Goods & services | 80 | 155 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $750/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $550/mo | — |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,400/mo | — |
| Buy price / m² centre | $2,800 | — |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,335 | $679 |
| Inexpensive meal | $13 | — |
| Monthly transit pass | $30 | — |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 44% | 40% |
| VAT / sales tax | 24% | 8.1% |
| Corporate tax | 22% | 15% |
| Capital gains | — | 0% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $1,000/mo | $6,000/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | $32,412✓ | — |
| Minimum wage | $1,244/mo✓ | — |
| GDP per capita | $23,565✓ | $114,769✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 2.6%✓ | 0.2%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | No |
| English proficiency | Moderate | — |
| Coworking spaces | 35 | — |
| Time zone | UTC+2 | — |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 66 | — |
| Safety index | 62 | — |
| Healthcare index | 65 | — |
| Pollution index | 55 | — |
| Internet speed | 100 Mbps | — |
| Walkability | 75 | — |
| Public transport | 72 | — |
| Family-friendly | 62 | — |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | — |
| Life expectancy | 82 yr✓ | 84 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Moderate | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +10 °C | — |
| July avg | +28 °C | — |
| Sunny days / year | 250 | — |
| Rainfall / year | 400 mm | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 2 h | — |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Greece vs Switzerland. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Athens vs Lugano — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Athens
Ancient ruins, Mediterranean sun and a coastline on the doorstep — the cheapest of the big Western-European capitals, with a golden visa and a 50% tax break drawing nomads. Grittier than the postcard, and warming fast.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- Greek
- Time zone
- UTC+2
- Internet
- 100 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 62/100
- Climate
- ❄ 10°C · ☀ 28°C · 250 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Koukaki · Kolonaki · Exarchia · Glyfada
Good to know before you move to Lugano
- Currency
- Swiss franc (Fr. CHF)
- Languages
- German, French, Italian
- Power
- J · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
Plan your move to Athens
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Airport transferWelcome Pickups
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
Plan your move to Lugano
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Athens to Lugano: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Athens to Lugano, your cost of living will be roughly 97% more expensive. Lugano’s cost-of-living index is 147 versus 75 for Athens (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Athens cheaper than Lugano?
Lugano is about 97% more expensive than Athens overall — its cost-of-living index is 147 versus 75 for Athens.
Which is more expensive, Athens or Lugano?
Lugano is more expensive than Athens. Its cost-of-living index is 147 vs 75 (US = 100) — about 96% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Athens or Lugano?
Rent is cheaper in Athens — about $750/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,800 in Lugano.
How much do you need to earn in Lugano to live like in Athens?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Athens is worth about $147,576 in Lugano. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Athens or Lugano?
Switzerland has the lower top income-tax rate — 40% versus 44% in Greece.
◷ More comparisons from Athens
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.