Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Buckingham

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,219 in Buckingham, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Buckingham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,219
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Buckingham

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 Buckingham actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $2,219 in Buckingham.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Buckingham $2,219

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $3,265 in Buckingham.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Buckingham $3,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $4,311 in Buckingham.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Buckingham $4,311

Living in Athens costs roughly 20% less than in Buckingham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Buckingham 64% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Buckingham
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$20.03 £15.03
-16.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$78.9 £59.2
-14.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$10.44 £7.83
6.70%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$4.60 £3.45
-12.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.05 £1.54
35.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.50 £1.12
-63.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$5.45 £4.09
5.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$4.52 £3.39
20.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Buckingham
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.51 £1.13
20.53%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.77 £1.33
-22.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$2.82 £2.11
-0.71%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$4.04 £3.03
19.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$9.09 £6.82
65.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$7.72 £5.79
37.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$16.42 £12.32
12.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.29 £2.47
-33.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.54 £1.16
23.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.80 £2.10
-51.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$3.20 £2.40
-34.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.16 £0.87
-6.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.73 £1.30
-35.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.29 £0.97
-13.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.35 £1.01
-34.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$23.66 £17.75
-76.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$10.10 £7.57
0.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$3.14 £2.36
-32.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.28 £1.71
-1.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Buckingham
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$3.38 £2.53
-59.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$94.7 £71.1
-68.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$4.18 £3.14
6.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$2.69 £2.02
-62.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$32.36 £24.28
-47.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.04 £1.53
10.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$38.4K £28.8K
-26.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$41.3K £31.0K
-31.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Buckingham
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$200 £150
2.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$17.46 £13.10
52.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$43.68 £32.77
-30.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Buckingham
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$45.77 £34.34
19.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$13.38 £10.04
-22.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Buckingham
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$1,464 £1,099
-61.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$22.0K £16.5K
-42.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Buckingham
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$84.3 £63.2
5.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$31.33 £23.50
29.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$73.7 £55.3
42.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$97.2 £72.9
24.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Buckingham
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$1,462 £1,097
-49.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$1,036 £777
-36.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$2,105 £1,579
-38.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,659 £1,244
-30.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$5,081 £3,812
-21.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$3,819 £2,865
-9.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Buckingham
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$4,447 £3,336
-72.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5.06
-11.46%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Buckingham: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Buckingham
$1K 58.3% $381
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Buckingham
$297 4.3% $13
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Buckingham
$297 10.9% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Buckingham
$261 0.2% $0.5
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Buckingham
$129 19.4% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Buckingham
$73 3.7% $2.8
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Buckingham
$126 181% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $1,462 in Buckingham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 258% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $79.0 in Buckingham. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $297, with Buckingham cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇬🇧 Buckingham
🕒 Local time
10:35 10:35 AM
08:35 8:35 AM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
12,890
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Buckingham 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Buckingham

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 Buckingham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Buckingham?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Buckingham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Buckingham?
On paper, salaries run 258% lower in Buckingham. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Buckingham?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $1,462 in Buckingham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Buckingham?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $79.0 in Buckingham. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Athens compared to Buckingham?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $2,219 in Buckingham – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Buckingham?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,219 in Buckingham, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Buckingham. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Buckingham?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Buckingham?
Safety-wise, Athens and Buckingham are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Buckingham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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