What Athens costs
A day in Athens per person, from a hostel and souvlaki to a hotel and a taverna — and why one Acropolis ticket costs more than a whole day's food.
- A day per person
- frugal €61–90, middle €103–177
- Beds
- Hostel €15–35
- Food
- Souvlaki in pitta €3.80–5
A day in Athens costs €61–90 per person with a hostel bed, a souvlaki, a taverna dinner and the Acropolis, and €103–177 with a three-star hotel for two, two metro rides and the Acropolis Museum. The big lines are the bed and the tickets: the Acropolis alone costs more than the souvlaki and the taverna together.
Prices line by line
Accommodation is per person per night; the hotel with two sharing a room, April to October.
Two profiles, per person per day
Not included: breakfast, coffee, drinks and the airport run.
Metro, bus or taxi
The metro to the centre is €9 per person, and a return, valid for a month, €16. The X95 express bus to Syntagma is €5.50. Taxis charge a fixed fare per ride, not per head: €40 by day, €55 from midnight to five in the morning. Alone or as a pair — metro or bus; four people on the metro pay almost what one taxi costs, so as four you take the taxi, which goes to the door. The 24-hour and five-day tickets are not valid on the airport metro.
Which ticket for the city
The 24-hour ticket (€4.10) pays off only from the fourth ride in a day — three singles come out cheaper. For five days there is a €8.20 ticket, which earns its keep by the seventh ride. Staying three days and flying in and out via the metro, take the tourist ticket (€20): it covers the airport both ways and all city transport, so it beats the airport return as soon as you make more than three rides in town.
Each one separately
Since April 2025 there has been no official combined ticket for the Acropolis and the six sites around it, so each is paid for separately, through the Ministry of Culture's official sales, Hellenic Heritage. The Acropolis is €30 in winter too — the seasonal reduction is gone. If the budget runs to one ticket, it is the Acropolis; the second is the Acropolis Museum at its foot, which holds the original Parthenon sculptures. Free entry for under-25s applies to EU citizens only; a non-EU passport does not qualify.
When it is cheapest
November to March, because of the beds: a room in a three-star hotel costs about twice as much in summer as in winter, and on Kayak's figures November is the cheapest month and June the dearest. Tickets drop only in part — the National Archaeological Museum is half price in winter, the Acropolis is not. The price of winter is shorter hours: the archaeological museum then closes by mid-afternoon.
The same comparison for 143 places: hostel, hotel, getting into town and a day pass. Travel costs →
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
How much money do I need for a day in Athens?
Per person, €61–90 in a hostel with souvlaki, a taverna and the Acropolis, and €103–177 in a three-star hotel with two rides and the Acropolis Museum. Breakfast, coffee, drinks and the airport are not included.
How much is a taxi from Athens airport?
The fare is fixed per ride: €40 to the centre by day and €55 from midnight to five. It is split between everyone in the car, so it only pays as four.
Can you drink the tap water?
Yes, in Athens it is drinkable; fill a bottle where you are staying.
Ready for Athens?
Where to next
Kerameikos, the stadium and Philopappos Hill: four places beyond the six main sights
→An ancient cemetery older than the Acropolis looking down on it, the only stadium in the world built entirely…
Nafplio · 93 km
→An Old Town below Acronafplia, Palamidi fortress on the hill and Bourtzi on an islet in the harbour — all on foot, with a second day left for Epidaurus or Mycenae.
How well does Athens suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
Leave your email and we'll let you know when a new destination or story goes up.