Money, money!
Like I said, an Erasmus mobility requires a lot of preparation. You must be mentally, physically, but also financially prepared. I am very lucky to have a strong financial support from my parents, so most of my expenses are personal.
When I had to choose a country, I took the matter of budget into serious consideration, for I wanted to live my dream trip without worrying about the price.
Of course, I did not choose Greece only because it is a cheap country, but I have to admit that it was one of the reasons - among MANY others - why I chose Athens over Sheffield, for instance.
I told you that I had contacted former students from my home university, who had already gone to Athens, to ask them questions about their personal experience, about accomodation and culture, but first and foremost, about the cost of life. I needed to prepare a budget. In this article, I will be transparent with you and tell you how much I have spent so far, so that you can do the same.
1. The accomodation
The cost of life in general is less expensive in Greece than in France. You can find very good appartments between 270 and 400 euros/month. Personnaly, I pay 350 euros/month, for a big shared flat (2 bathrooms, 5 bedrooms, everything I need to stay for 5 months). I advise you to choose a flatshare over a single appartment, for the good reason that you can meet new people and, if something happens to you, you can easily ask for help.
I currently live in the area of Koukaki, next to the Acropolis, but before moving there, I had booked an AirBnB in Pangrati. These two areas are calm and pretty. If you like night life and bars, Kypseli and Exarchia are nice places too, and if you want to be closer to the school of Psychology (where I have my classes), you should live in Zografou.
To find your accomodation, you can either search on the internet or on Facebook. I joined an accomodation group and posted a message about what I was looking for, and in few weeks, I had my contract signed.
Here is the link of the Facebook group :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/313962265301086/
And here is the link of a good website to find a flat:
2. The food
The groceries in general are quite cheap, especially if you buy local food and go to the "laiki agora" (= local markets). To give you an example, I had half a kilo of strawberries for 2,5 euros. If you go to a little supermarket, you may spend more or less 30 euros/week, depending on what you eat. And with your student card, you can get free meals at the university's canteen, twice a day. The meals are varied, and you can get as much food as you want, for FREE.
If you want to eat outside, here is a list of some traditional meals and their prices: a moussaka is usually around 11 euros; a Greek salad is 8-9 euros; a box of Lukamades is 5 euros; a pita (kebab) is around 3 euros; a bowl of tzatziki is 4 euros, and a little bottle of Rakomelo (hot raki with honey) is about 8 euros. For other meals, like chicken, pork or lamb souvlaki for instance, you may spend between 15 and 20 euros, drinks included.
3. The transportation
To go from the airport to my first appartment, I chose to pay a taxi, for it was more convenient with my huge and heavy suitcase. I paid 45 euros, but this is of course optional.
Then, the first month, I paid 13,50 euros my transporation card (with a student discount) to have access to all the metros and buses. The second month, I changed my card because I wanted to get infinite access to the airport (it is a special line, which costs 4,50 euros, 9 without the student discount). I paid 64,50 euros for 3 months, so 21,50/month. Once again, this is optional.
Here is the link of the website where you can find the prices of the transportation cards/tickets:
4. Studies
I don't pay anything for my studies. I only paid the usual fees for my home university in September, and I bought a book for the Greek Language class. That is all. It is a great advantage of the Erasmus+ program.
5. Personal expenses
I cannot say how much I paid, because as I am writing this, I only lived 1/4 of my trip. I can, however, give you an estimate.
Before going to Athens, I had worked a lot to save as much money as I could. I did not want to feel guilty for spending money during my mobility and I did not want to have any regret. I still have trips planned, on islands and around Athens, with the ESN or alone, and I want to do as many activities as I can. Between restaurants, bars, trips, souvenirs, visits, museums and activities, I think that, at the end of my mobility, I will have spent more or less 1500 euros. This is my personal choice and I do what I can afford.
And fortunately, thanks to the Erasmus program, we receive a scholarship (about 200 euros/month) to help us finance the mobility. You can also try to find some jobs. In my opinion, working there is not the best option, because you will have less free time to visit the country. What I do to save some money during my trip is writing articles for a French online newspaper. I do it when I have time. It is easy and not very demanding.
As I like to tell myself, money will come back, but I may never live in Athens again. So let's enjoy!