 #36;11.6B Bill for Athens Games May Climb (AP) AP - The bill arrived for the Athens Olympics on Friday  #151; about  #36;11.6 billion, and it might climb higher. The tally announced by the government was almost double the original estimate, making the games by far the most expensive in Olympic history. The 2000 Sydney Games cost  #36;1.5 billion and the 1996 Atlanta Games  #36;1.72 billion.