Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Caernarfon

For one person, living is cheaper in Caernarfon: $1,196 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Caernarfon
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,196
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Caernarfon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,196 in Caernarfon.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Caernarfon $1,196

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,704 in Caernarfon.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Caernarfon $2,704

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $4,212 in Caernarfon.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Caernarfon $4,212

Living in Athens is roughly 48% more expensive than in Caernarfon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Caernarfon is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Caernarfon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$13.08 £9.82
27.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$90.8 £68.1
-25.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$9.19 £6.90
21.22%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$3.85 £2.89
4.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.59 £1.95
6.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.96 £1.47
-71.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$4.72 £3.54
21.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$3.92 £2.94
39.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Caernarfon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.84 £1.38
-1.09%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.68 £1.26
-17.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$2.20 £1.65
27.27%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$2.32 £1.74
108.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$9.01 £6.76
67.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$7.38 £5.53
44.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$15.08 £11.31
22.21%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.58 £1.93
-14.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.28 £0.96
48.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.29 £0.97
6.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.36 £1.02
54.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.64 £1.23
-34.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.74 £1.31
-35.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.36 £1.02
-17.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.56 £1.17
-43.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$22.03 £16.53
-75.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$9.08 £6.81
11.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$3.58 £2.68
-40.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$3.35 £2.52
-32.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Caernarfon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$5.60 £4.20
-75.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$67.7 £50.8
-55.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$5.11 £3.83
-12.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$2.31 £1.73
-55.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$24.10 £18.08
-29.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.97 £1.48
14.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$38.1K £28.6K
-26.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$40.3K £30.3K
-30.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Caernarfon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$314 £236
-34.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$20.96 £15.72
27.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$39.31 £29.49
-22.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Caernarfon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$29.97 £22.48
81.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$15.92 £11.94
-34.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Caernarfon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$1,570 £1,178
-63.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$23.6K £17.7K
-46.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Caernarfon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$107 £80.4
-17.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$49.70 £37.29
-18.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$107 £80.4
-2.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$79.8 £59.9
52.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Caernarfon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$662 £497
11.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,604 £1,204
-28.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Caernarfon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$3,516 £2,638
-64.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5.09
-11.98%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Caernarfon: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Caernarfon
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Caernarfon
$270 12.9% $40
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Caernarfon
$228 14.9% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Caernarfon
$375 43.2% $113
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Caernarfon
$155 3.3% $5.2
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Caernarfon
$62 17.9% $14
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Caernarfon
$107 138% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $662 in Caernarfon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caernarfon pays 183% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Athens vs $91.0 in Caernarfon. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $270, with Caernarfon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇬🇧 Caernarfon
🕒 Local time
22:12 10:12 PM
20:12 8:12 PM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
9,500
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 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 Caernarfon 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Caernarfon

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 Caernarfon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Caernarfon?
Caernarfon wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Caernarfon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Caernarfon?
On paper, salaries run 183% lower in Caernarfon. 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 Caernarfon?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $662 in Caernarfon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Caernarfon?
Dining out is cheaper in Caernarfon – a meal for two runs $91.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. 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 Caernarfon?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,196 in Caernarfon – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Athens or in Caernarfon?
At $1,196 in Caernarfon versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caernarfon but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Caernarfon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Caernarfon?
Both work as nomad bases, but Caernarfon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,196 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Caernarfon hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Caernarfon?
Safety-wise, Athens and Caernarfon 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 Caernarfon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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