Friends preparing for immigration to Greece are certainly concerned about the cost of living in Greece. Among European Union countries, the daily cost of living in Greece is relatively affordable. In particular, food items such as milk, bread, eggs, and chocolate are priced similarly to those in Beijing, generally ranging from 0.5 to 1 Euro. While beef, fruits, vegetables, and seafood are slightly more expensive, they remain within an acceptable range and will not cause a significant disparity in your cost of living.
For dining out: Among main meals, Chinese food is the cheapest, with a typical meal of two dishes and one soup (one meat and one vegetable) costing between 10 and 20 Euros. Next is Greek cuisine, where a plate of seafood pasta with a side of vegetable salad, an aperitif, and some bread generally costs 15 to 25 Euros. Italian cuisine in Greece is priced similarly to Greek cuisine. The most expensive is French cuisine, which typically costs 50 to 100 Euros per person. Additionally, there is fast food, which is quite affordable, with 5 Euros being enough for a full meal. Tap water in Greece is potable. In supermarkets, a 600ml bottle of mineral water is usually under 1 Euro, a 300ml bottle of beer is around 1 Euro, and a 600ml soft drink is about 1.2 to 3 Euros. Cigarettes generally cost about 1 to 2.5 Euros per pack (Marlboro is 2.5 Euros).
In Greece, if you do not have high requirements and cook at home (three meals a day), it generally costs about 6 Euros per person per day.
If you are working in Greece, employers generally provide two meals, so cooking one meal yourself only costs 2 to 4 Euros.
Among daily necessities in Greece, low-value consumables (such as soap, shampoo, etc.) are relatively inexpensive, while bedding is more expensive and clothing is cheap. Electrical appliances are also relatively expensive (such as rice cookers, etc.). The voltage in Greece is 220V, with a frequency of 50Hz and Type C2 power sockets.
Mobile phone prices in Greece are similar to those in China, but they feature one-way charging; if you call Greece from mainland China, the recipient is not charged. Using a 10 Euro Greek IP phone card to call mainland China provides about 30 to 50 minutes of talk time (depending on the time of day), while standard phone cards cost 0.5 Euros per minute to call mainland China. Most locals in Athens have their own cars, while Chinese immigrants generally find public transport, subways, and taxis relatively affordable. Furthermore, buses and subways offer seasonal, monthly, and weekly passes, which are even more cost-effective. In summary, the monthly income for a typical job in Greece ranges from 500 to 1,500 Euros. If your living requirements are modest, monthly expenses are about 300 Euros per person. For a family (of three) living in Greece, 500 to 600 Euros per month is sufficient for living expenses alone. Of course, this figure represents a moderate, economical lifestyle. Consumption is limitless, and there are many wealthy, high-spending individuals in Greece as well.
Through the explanation above, you should now have a very clear understanding of the cost of living in Greece! When living abroad, facing a new environment, it is inevitable that there will be some adjustments. However, surveys indicate that, generally speaking, after getting through the initial adjustment period of about 3 years, one's sense of well-being can be significantly improved.