Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Aberdeen

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $2,287 in Aberdeen, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Aberdeen
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,287
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Aberdeen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Athens and in Aberdeen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Athens vs $2,287 in Aberdeen, rent included.

  • Athens $1,806
  • Aberdeen $2,287

A couple spends around $2,731 per month in Athens vs $3,604 in Aberdeen, rent included.

  • Athens $2,731
  • Aberdeen $3,604

A family of three spends $3,656 per month in Athens vs $4,921 in Aberdeen, rent included.

  • Athens $3,656
  • Aberdeen $4,921

Athens is about 21% cheaper than Aberdeen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Athens and Aberdeen sit above the global median – Athens by 35%, Aberdeen by 71%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Aberdeen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.87
$19.91 £15.05
-16.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €59.1
$96.7 £73.1
-31.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.06 €9.87
$10.74 £8.12
2.98%
Cappuccino
$4.14 €3.69
$4.62 £3.49
-10.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.50
$2.78 £2.10
0.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$2.11 £1.59
-72.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.03
$7.08 £5.35
-20.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.87
$7.48 £5.65
-27.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Aberdeen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.56 £1.18
25.64%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.73 £1.31
-18.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 €2.53
$1.92 £1.45
47.40%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.50
$4.41 £3.33
14.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.35 €13.70
$8.45 £6.38
81.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.34 €9.23
$11.82 £8.93
-12.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.97 €16.93
$16.02 £12.10
18.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$2.90 £2.19
-25.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.38 £1.05
38.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.81 £2.12
-50.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.72 £2.81
-40.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.76 £1.33
-37.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.00
$1.45 £1.10
-22.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.21 £0.91
-9.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$1.61 £1.21
-48.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.60 €4.99
$21.79 £16.47
-74.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 €9.09
$11.22 £8.48
-9.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.95
$2.70 £2.04
-19.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.19
$2.92 £2.21
-16.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Aberdeen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.76 £2.08
-50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.87 €27.55
$121 £91.7
-74.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.90
$3.89 £2.94
12.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$2.31 £1.75
-54.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.11 €15.27
$23.43 £17.71
-26.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.09 £1.58
10.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$38.6K £29.2K
-27.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$40.7K £30.7K
-31.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Aberdeen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €187
$410 £310
-48.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.70 €23.83
$28.17 £21.29
-5.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.13 €26.89
$41.97 £31.71
-28.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Aberdeen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.6 €48.72
$53.9 £40.71
1.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.03 €23.23
$22.01 £16.64
18.26%
Cinema Ticket
$10.78 €9.62
$11.46 £8.66
-5.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Aberdeen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$575 €513
$1,785 £1,349
-67.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K €11.7K
$23.3K £17.6K
-43.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Aberdeen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 €83.1
$96.5 £72.9
-3.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.68 €36.30
$47.34 £35.77
-14.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.9
$103 £78.0
0.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$116 £87.3
11.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Aberdeen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €674
$814 £615
-7.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €582
$777 £588
-16.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,154
$1,557 £1,177
-16.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,163 €1,038
$1,658 £1,253
-29.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,008 €3,577
$2,260 £1,708
77.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,452 €3,081
$3,444 £2,603
0.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Aberdeen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,243 €1,110
$3,606 £2,725
-65.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5.11
-12.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Aberdeen: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$652
Aberdeen
$777 19.2% $125
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$315
Aberdeen
$317 0.9% $2.7
Eating Out
Athens
$269
Aberdeen
$317 17.9% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$267
Aberdeen
$480 80.2% $214
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$165
Aberdeen
$163 1% $1.6
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$76
Aberdeen
$77 0.9% $0.7
Getting Around
Athens
$46
Aberdeen
$148 222% $102

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Athens versus $814 in Aberdeen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 190% higher in Aberdeen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Athens versus $97.0 in Aberdeen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $317 – making Athens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇬🇧 Aberdeen
🕒 Local time
07:58 7:58 AM
05:58 5:58 AM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
229,060
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Aberdeen 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Aberdeen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Athens vs Aberdeen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Aberdeen?
Aberdeen costs about 27% more than Athens, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Athens and in Aberdeen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,709 per month in Athens and $3,430 in Aberdeen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Athens or Aberdeen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Athens, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Athens compared to Aberdeen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,806 in Athens and $2,287 in Aberdeen. That's a gap of about 27%.
How expensive is transport in Athens compared to Aberdeen?
Public transport costs about 293% less in Athens. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Aberdeen?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Athens, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Aberdeen at $2,287. In Athens it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aberdeen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Aberdeen?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Athens costs $1,806 versus $2,287 in Aberdeen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Athens compared to Aberdeen?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Athens or to Aberdeen?
If budget matters most, go with Athens. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aberdeen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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