Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Drammen

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,644 in Drammen, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Drammen
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,644
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Drammen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $2,644 in Drammen.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Drammen $2,644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $3,996 in Drammen.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Drammen $3,996

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $5,349 in Drammen.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Drammen $5,349

Living in Athens costs roughly 33% less than in Drammen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Drammen 96% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Drammen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$21.14 NOK 199
-21.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$124 NOK 1,170
-45.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$10.71 NOK 101
4.01%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$5.04 NOK 47.44
-20.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$3.94 NOK 37.13
-29.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.99 NOK 18.71
-72.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$11.22 NOK 106
-48.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.84
$6.98 NOK 65.7
-21.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Drammen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.48 NOK 23.30
-26.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$4.19 NOK 39.48
-67.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$4.73 NOK 44.52
-40.80%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$4.64 NOK 43.71
4.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$13.55 NOK 128
11.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$15.24 NOK 143
-30.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$30.80 NOK 290
-40.16%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.23 NOK 30.42
-31.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$2.71 NOK 25.47
-29.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.37 NOK 31.71
-59.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$5.81 NOK 54.7
-63.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$2.61 NOK 24.61
-58.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.89 NOK 27.23
-61.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$3.03 NOK 28.51
-63.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$2.35 NOK 22.14
-62.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$16.74 NOK 158
-67.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$15.55 NOK 146
-34.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$3.36 NOK 31.58
-36.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$4.15 NOK 39.11
-45.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Drammen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$3.37 NOK 31.68
-59.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$91.5 NOK 862
-67.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$11.86 NOK 112
-62.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.81 NOK 17.07
-43.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$69.4 NOK 653
-75.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.27 NOK 21.35
-0.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$45.6K NOK 429.1K
-38.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$45.1K NOK 424.8K
-37.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Drammen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$261 NOK 2,459
-21.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.70
$33.66 NOK 317
-20.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$53.0 NOK 499
-42.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Drammen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.46
$78.6 NOK 740
-30.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$17.96 NOK 169
-41.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Drammen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$236 NOK 2,225
140.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$15.5K NOK 145.5K
-18.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Drammen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$98.9 NOK 931
-10.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$59.2 NOK 557
-31.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$131 NOK 1,233
-19.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$150 NOK 1,414
-19.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Drammen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$1,346 NOK 12.7K
-44.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$1,004 NOK 9,447
-34.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$2,043 NOK 19.2K
-36.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,560 NOK 14.7K
-26.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$10.4K NOK 97.5K
-61.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$6,335 NOK 59.6K
-45.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Drammen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$3,627 NOK 34.1K
-65.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
4.54
-1.32%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Drammen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Drammen
$1K 53.3% $349
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Drammen
$499 60.6% $188
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Drammen
$356 32.6% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Drammen
$348 33% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Drammen
$198 23.6% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Drammen
$114 52% $39
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Drammen
$126 181% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $1,346 in Drammen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drammen pays 192% 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 $124 in Drammen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $499 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇳🇴 Drammen
🕒 Local time
18:33 6:33 PM
17:33 5:33 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
104,625
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Drammen 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Drammen

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 Drammen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Drammen?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Drammen. 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 Drammen?
On paper, salaries run 192% lower in Drammen. 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 Drammen?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $1,346 in Drammen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Drammen?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $124 in Drammen. 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 Drammen?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $2,644 in Drammen – a 49% 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 Drammen?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,644 in Drammen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Drammen. 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 Drammen?
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 Drammen?
Safety-wise, Athens and Drammen 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 49% less than in Drammen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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