How much does it cost to live in Ios?
Typical Month (Mid Range)
$1,795 (€1,556)
Updated September 2026 · Sources cited: hikersbay.com, casamundo.co.uk
- Typical Month (Lower End)
- $1,106 (€959)
- Typical Month (Premium)
- $2,982 (€2,585)
- Furnished 1-bed rent
- $1,038 (€900)
Chora/Gialos
Good to know
Good to Know
- Ios is one of the most seasonal islands in the Cyclades — most shops, restaurants, and rentals shut down completely from around November to April, so 'monthly rent' outside June–September is a much smaller, harder-to-find market than the figures above suggest.
- Ios is widely known as a summer party island, with a nightlife scene often compared to Ibiza, which drives large price swings between high season and the quiet off-season.
- There's no established remote-work or coworking scene here — treat Ios as a short seasonal base or a fun detour from a Greek-islands itinerary rather than a long-term nomad hub.
- Because it's a small island reliant on ferry deliveries, expect groceries and dining to cost more than mainland Athens, especially at the height of summer tourist season.
- Ios has no documented coworking space — it's a small, seasonal party-and-beach island rather than a remote-work hub, so plan on cafe/hotel wifi for work.
- The KTEL bus is the only public transport on the island and runs on a seasonal timetable with more frequent service in July–August; fares are paid per ride, not via a pass.
- Cosmote generally has the most reliable network coverage across Greek islands, which is worth factoring in if connectivity matters for work.
- There's no cinema on Ios and healthcare options are limited to a small local health center, so anything beyond routine care typically means travelling to Athens or a larger island.
Monthly Totals
- Mid-range month
- €1,556
Includes 5 estimated components
1 component missing
- Lean month
- €959
Includes 3 estimated components
- Comfortable month
- €2,585
Includes 6 estimated components
1 component missing
Living Costs
- Where nomads live
- Ios has no documented digital-nomad or expat cluster — it is a small, intensely seasonal Cycladic party-tourism island rather than a long-stay remote-work base. Housing figures here are priced for the island's main settlement cluster: Ios Town/Chora (the hillside main village) and the adjoining harbor of Gialos and beach village of Mylopotas, which together hold almost all of the island's accommodation stock and are within walking distance of each other.
Housing (per month)
- Mid-range 1-bed
- €900
Estimated
Estimated mid-tier 1-bedroom furnished apartment, shoulder-season monthly rate; no Ios-specific live listing found in search.
- Budget studio / 1-bed
- €650
Off-season or holiday-rate price — not comparable with other cities
Estimated
No live monthly-stay listing for Ios was found; estimated from general shoulder/off-season (Oct–May) small-studio rental levels typical of comparable Cycladic islands, since Ios's own long-let market is very thin outside locals renting to seasonal staff.
- Premium apartment
- €1,800
Estimated
Estimated premium/sea-view furnished apartment or small villa monthly rate for shoulder season; based on general Cycladic villa/apartment holiday-rental pricing patterns rather than a confirmed monthly listing, since sites like Vrbo and Casamundo show Ios stock priced nightly, not monthly.
- Private room in a shared home
- €450
Estimated
No live Ios-specific shared-room listings were found via search. Estimated as a discount off the budget-studio figure below, reflecting typical shared-house arrangements used by seasonal hospitality workers on small Cycladic islands.
Groceries
- Groceries for one (month)
- €325
Estimated
Midpoint of a Greece-wide single-person grocery budget range of 250-400 EUR/month cited by a relocation guide; not Ios-specific, and island supermarket prices typically run above mainland levels due to ferry freight costs.
Sample prices
1L Milk
- 1L Milk
- €1.30
Estimated
Typical Greek supermarket price; no Ios-specific figure found in search.
Loaf of White Bread (500g)
- Loaf Of White Bread (500g)
- €1.50
Estimated
Typical Greek supermarket price; no Ios-specific figure found in search.
Dozen Eggs
- Dozen Eggs
- €3.50
Estimated
Typical Greek supermarket price; no Ios-specific figure found in search.
1.5L Bottled Water (Store)
- 1.5L Bottled Water (Store)
- €0.60
Estimated
Typical Greek supermarket price, store purchase (not restaurant); no Ios-specific figure found in search.
Chicken Breast, 1kg
- Chicken Breast, 1kg
- €8.00
Estimated
Typical Greek supermarket price; no Ios-specific figure found in search.
Eating out
- Cheap meal
- €11
Estimated
Base figure is HikersBay's Greece-wide 'cheap restaurant meal' price of 15 EUR; used as a national proxy since no Ios-specific figure was found. Ios's peak-season tourist-zone tavernas likely run somewhat higher. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 15 EUR reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
- High-end meal
- €45
Estimated
No sourced high-end Ios or Greece figure was found; estimated for a multi-course meal at one of Ios Town's more upscale sunset-view restaurants, reflecting the island's tourist-driven pricing.
- Mid-range meal
- €19
Estimated
HikersBay states a Greece-wide mid-range dinner for two at 50 EUR; halved here to a single-person figure and marked estimated per methodology. Not Ios-specific. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 25 EUR reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
Work, Transport & Essentials
Coworking
- Venue
- None found — no dedicated coworking space documented on Ios
- Day pass
- Not available
No dedicated coworking space could be identified on Ios itself; it is a small, seasonal party-focused island (permanent population in the low thousands) rather than a nomad/coworking hub. Figure left null rather than guessed.
- Monthly hot desk
- Not available
Same as above — no coworking operator found with a presence on Ios. Nomads working from Ios typically use cafe/hotel wifi rather than a dedicated space.
Transport
- How to get there
- KTEL local bus
- What the pass covers
- No monthly pass available; Ios's KTEL bus service is a per-ride, seasonal tourist/local network with no travel-card or pass system.
- Single ride
- €2.00
Survey / cost-of-living site
Ios island travel guide states the main Chora–Port–Mylopotas Beach bus route costs €2 in 2025; other routes to further beaches (Manganari, Agia Theodoti, Psathi) range roughly €2.10–€4.10 depending on distance.
- Monthly pass
- Not available
No monthly pass exists for the island's seasonal KTEL bus network — it sells single tickets only.
Mobile & data
- Carrier
- Cosmote
- Monthly plan
- €14
Survey / cost-of-living site
Travel-SIM guide states a Cosmote prepaid SIM in Greece costs about €13.5 for a bundle of 2.5GB data, unlimited local minutes, and 400 SMS; Cosmote has the strongest nationwide/island network coverage in Greece.
- Data allowance
- ~2.5GB data + unlimited local minutes + 400 SMS per renewal cycle (heavier-data custom bundles available via the Cosmote/WHAT'S UP app)
Short Stays (per night)
- Seasonal pricing
- Yes
- Why
- July and August constitute a genuine, sustained high-season peak with materially elevated accommodation prices driven by peak tourist crowds, hot weather, and summer school holidays across northern Europe; November–March comprises a genuine low season with many businesses closed, limited ferry access, and rainy weather, creating a pricing differential of 30%+ between these periods.
Low season
- Budget
- €38
Hotels.com and KAYAK indicate lowest prices in January-February at approximately 40% of high-season rates
- Luxury
- €600
Calilo and similar ultra-luxury properties remain open year-round; estimated 50% of summer peak based on Greek luxury-segment off-season discounting patterns
- Premium
- €150
Estimated 45-50% of high-season premium pricing; many luxury properties close or reduce availability in winter
- Standard
- €65
Greece off-season Airbnb average €113/night; conservative estimate for 3-star hotel tier in November-March
High season
- Budget
- €65
KAYAK/Hostelworld 2-star hotel listings showing $34-38 USD range; converted to EUR and rounded conservatively for July peak
- Luxury
- €1,200
Calilo 5-star resort: direct booking data July 19-20, 2026 showed $1,319 USD per night
- Premium
- €280
Hotel listings and luxury-travel sources showing 4-star properties; estimated from Greece luxury-segment summer pricing patterns
- Standard
- €110
KAYAK/TripAdvisor 3-star hotel data showing $42-49 USD range; Greece Airbnb average €174 for summer applied to mid-tier
Low-season months
- November
- December
- January
- February
- March
High-season months
- July
- August
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this cost of living research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Ios
Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.