How Athens Stacks Against Other Top Erasmus Cities
/The Real Deal From Someone Who’s Seen It All
How Athens compares to Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, and Lisbon for Erasmus students—housing, cost, safety, and student life side by side.
Let’s get one thing straight...
Picking your Erasmus city isn’t just about pretty sunsets and cheap beer.
It’s about where you’ll sleep, study, make friends, and build memories that’ll stick with you forever.
If you screw this up—you don’t just waste money. You waste your once-in-a-lifetime experience.
So today, let’s cut the fluff and break down how Athens stacks up against the other major Erasmus hotspots—Barcelona, Lisbon, Berlin, and Paris.
We’ll compare what actually matters to someone like you—housing, cost of living, student life, safety, and social scene.
And we’ll back it up with examples, not vague promises.
Let’s dive in.
1. Housing That Doesn’t Rob Your Soul—or Wallet
Paris: €700+ for a shoebox. If you want central and furnished, forget it unless you’ve got family money or roommates that feel more like co-owners than friends.
Berlin: Good luck. It’s basically the Hunger Games out there. Competition is brutal. Even if you find a place, the bureaucracy can kill the joy fast.
Barcelona: Nice weather, decent options—but prices are creeping up. Lots of “Airbnb-style” landlords who don’t really care that you’re a student.
Lisbon: Still somewhat affordable, but rising fast. Many rentals are short-term focused, and legal lease documents for student visas? Not always guaranteed.
Athens: Here’s where roomsAthens punches hard.
✅ Zero booking fees
✅ Transparent prices, no surprise fees
✅ Fully furnished co-living apartments
✅ Proper lease contracts accepted for visa, bank accounts, and tax purposes
Example: We offer Erasmus students rooms in a central Athens flat, with AC, Wi-Fi, balcony, and full kitchen access for under €500/month. Try that in Paris—your “balcony” will be the fire escape.
2. Cost of Living: Eating, Moving, Living
Berlin & Paris: These cities eat through your monthly Erasmus grant like termites through wood. Groceries, public transport, nights out—it all adds up. Fast.
Lisbon & Barcelona: More manageable, but tourist demand keeps prices unstable.
Athens: The dark horse. 🧀 Groceries are affordable. 🚇 A monthly metro card costs about €23 with a student discount. ☕ Coffee is under €2. 🍝 You can eat out for €8–10 and be full.
Example: One of our students shared her monthly budget breakdown:
Rent: €450 Food: €200 Transport: €23 Social life: €150 Total: €823/month—and she didn’t skimp on the good stuff.
3. Student Life: What Happens Outside the Classroom
Paris & Berlin: Cool events, but also a bit overwhelming. Big cities, fast pace, and locals aren’t always the warmest.
Barcelona & Lisbon: Lively scenes, beach culture, and loads of Erasmus events. But there’s a big tourist-party vibe—not always ideal for making real connections.
Athens: This is where things get juicy. Greek hospitality is real. Locals are curious, kind, and surprisingly fluent in English. The city mixes ancient history with modern chaos, and somehow, it works.
Erasmus meetups, rooftop parties, island day trips, group hikes—you get all of it without losing your mind or your money.
Example: At one of our co-living properties, six Erasmus students from different countries started hosting monthly “world dinner nights”—each person cooking from their culture. It snowballed into one of the best traditions in their semester. Zero planning needed. Just a kitchen, a table, and the right people.
4. Safety and Stability
Paris: Pickpockets in the metro. Political protests shutting down entire districts.
Berlin: Generally safe, but some areas at night feel dicey. Plus, the language barrier can get frustrating in critical situations.
Lisbon & Barcelona: Better, but both struggle with petty theft. Tourists = easy targets.
Athens: Is Athens perfect?
No. But students consistently tell us they feel safer here than they expected.
Stick to residential neighborhoods, stay alert like you would in any city, and you’ll be fine.
5. Culture, Travel, and That “Wow” Factor
Barcelona & Lisbon: Great beaches, trendy vibes, easy access to cheap flights.
Berlin: Rich in history, music, and politics—but gray and cold most of the year.
Paris: Romantic and iconic—but don’t expect the postcard version 24/7.
Athens: You wake up, sip coffee under the Acropolis, walk to class in the sun, then take a €25 ferry to an island for the weekend. Oh, and the sunsets? You’ll never forget them.
Example: Some of our students organized a day trip to Aegina Island—left in the morning, swam all afternoon, back in Athens for dinner. Total cost? Less than €25 including ferry + snacks. Try doing that from Berlin.
6. Why All This Matters
Because where you live shapes your entire Erasmus experience. It affects your mood, your social life, your studies, your budget, your everything.
Athens doesn’t just tick the boxes—it builds the foundation for the experience you’ve imagined since the day you applied for your exchange.
Final Word: Is Athens Right for You?
If you're looking for…
✅ Affordable rent and living costs
✅ A home, not just a place to sleep
✅ Real human connection, not just tourist traps
✅ An epic balance of study, social life, and travel
✅ Support that actually shows up when you need it
…then Athens might just be the best decision you'll make all year.
If This Helped You—We Can Help Even More
At Rooms Athens, we’ve helped hundreds of Erasmus students settle into the city with zero drama. We know what matters, and we’re here to make it feel like home.
🔹 24/7 support via our app
🔹 No booking fees or hidden costs
🔹 Fully furnished co-living apartments
🔹 Lease agreements ready for visa & tax use
🔹 A student community that makes everything easier
👉 Check out our listings now and lock in a place you’ll actually love.
Because your Erasmus experience shouldn’t start with stress.
It should start with a key. And a smile
