Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Exeter

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,396 in Exeter, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Exeter
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,396
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Exeter

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $2,396 in Exeter.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Exeter $2,396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $3,801 in Exeter.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Exeter $3,801

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $5,206 in Exeter.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Exeter $5,206

Living in Athens costs roughly 26% less than in Exeter, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Exeter 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Exeter
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$20.02 £15.02
-16.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$98.9 £74.2
-31.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$9.12 £6.84
22.15%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$4.73 £3.55
-14.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$3.12 £2.34
-11.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$2.40 £1.80
-77.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$7.13 £5.35
-19.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$6.20 £4.65
-12.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Exeter
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.50 £1.13
21.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.60 £1.20
-13.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$1.78 £1.33
57.30%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$4.31 £3.23
12.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$8.95 £6.72
68.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$8.41 £6.31
26.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$22.94 £17.21
-19.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.01 £2.26
-26.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.42 £1.07
33.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.29 £1.72
-40.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$3.06 £2.30
-31.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$2.27 £1.70
-52.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.02 £1.52
-44.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.50 £1.12
-25.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.89 £1.42
-53.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$23.33 £17.51
-76.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$9.21 £6.91
9.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$3.52 £2.64
-39.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$4.41 £3.31
-48.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Exeter
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$4.00 £3.00
-66.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$104 £78.2
-71.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$5.96 £4.47
-25.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$2.43 £1.83
-58.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$24.16 £18.12
-29.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.94 £1.46
15.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$38.8K £29.1K
-27.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$40.2K £30.2K
-29.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Exeter
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$469 £352
-56.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$15.80 £11.85
68.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$46.56 £34.93
-34.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Exeter
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$43.93 £32.96
24.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$13.13 £9.85
97.11%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$12.73 £9.55
-18.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Exeter
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$1,413 £1,060
-59.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$17.5K £13.1K
-28.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Exeter
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$67.1 £50.3
32.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$31.64 £23.74
27.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$102 £76.6
2.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$75.1 £56.3
61.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Exeter
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$1,137 £853
-34.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$893 £670
-26.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$2,384 £1,788
-45.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$2,063 £1,547
-44.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$5,317 £3,989
-24.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$6,618 £4,965
-47.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Exeter
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$3,096 £2,323
-59.87%
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 10, 2026

Last update for Exeter: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Exeter
$893 36.4% $238
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Exeter
$326 4.9% $15
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Exeter
$314 17.3% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Exeter
$532 103% $270
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Exeter
$124 22.4% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Exeter
$69 7.9% $5.9
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Exeter
$138 208% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $1,137 in Exeter. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Exeter pays 149% 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 $99.0 in Exeter for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $326 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇬🇧 Exeter
🕒 Local time
22:28 10:28 PM
20:28 8:28 PM
2 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
130,800
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 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 Exeter 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Exeter

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 Exeter: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Exeter?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Exeter. 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 Exeter?
On paper, salaries run 149% lower in Exeter. 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 Exeter?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $1,137 in Exeter. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Exeter?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $99.0 in Exeter. 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 Exeter?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $2,396 in Exeter – a 35% 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 Exeter?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,396 in Exeter, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Exeter. 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 Exeter?
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 Exeter?
Safety-wise, Athens and Exeter 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 35% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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