Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Hafnarfjordur

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
186

Cost of Living Index in Hafnarfjordur
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Hafnarfjordur Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Hafnarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Hafnarfjordur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur.

Athens $1,775
Hafnarfjordur $3,877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $5,400 in Hafnarfjordur.

Athens $2,721
Hafnarfjordur $5,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $6,923 in Hafnarfjordur.

Athens $3,666
Hafnarfjordur $6,923

Living in Athens costs roughly 54% less than in Hafnarfjordur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Hafnarfjordur 187% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$31.03 ISK 3,763

-46.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$124 ISK 15.0K

-45.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$16.27 ISK 1,973

-31.53%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$6.88 ISK 835

-41.42%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$3.27 ISK 396

-15.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$3.07 ISK 372

-82.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$14.18 ISK 1,720

-59.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$12.22 ISK 1,482

-55.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.70 ISK 207

7.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$4.18 ISK 507

-66.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$3.61 ISK 438

-22.44%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$7.19 ISK 872

-32.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$21.88 ISK 2,654

-31.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$24.76 ISK 3,003

-57.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$42.29 ISK 5,130

-56.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.41 ISK 413

-35.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.50 ISK 303

-24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$3.18 ISK 386

-56.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$6.33 ISK 767

-66.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$3.87 ISK 469

-72.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.69 ISK 205

-33.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$3.69 ISK 447

-69.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.81 ISK 220

-51.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$13.80 ISK 1,674

-60.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$23.94 ISK 2,904

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$3.54 ISK 430

-39.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$3.43 ISK 416

-34.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$5.21 ISK 632

-73.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$85.4 ISK 10.4K

-65.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$6.58 ISK 798

-32.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$2.80 ISK 339

-63.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$80.9 ISK 9,810

-79.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.04 ISK 248

10.29%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.0K €24.9K

$51.3K ISK 6.2M

-45.38%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.2K €25.1K

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

-47.04%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$205 €182

$70.7 ISK 8,571

189.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.65 €23.71

$33.02 ISK 4,005

-19.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$87.0 ISK 10.6K

-65.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$64.9 ISK 7,870

-16.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$17.05 ISK 2,068

-38.89%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$569 €506

$1,196 ISK 145.1K

-52.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

-51.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$124 ISK 15.0K

-28.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$65.8 ISK 7,980

-38.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$125 ISK 15.2K

-16.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$252 ISK 30.6K

-51.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$2,498 ISK 302.9K

-70.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$2,087 ISK 253.1K

-68.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$3,226 ISK 391.3K

-59.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$2,607 ISK 316.2K

-55.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$7,085 ISK 859.4K

-43.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$6,990 ISK 847.8K

-50.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$4,751 ISK 576.2K

-73.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

8.81

-49.15%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hafnarfjordur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Hafnarfjordur

$2.1K 53.8% 219% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Hafnarfjordur

$619 16% 99.3% $308

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Hafnarfjordur

$500 12.9% 86.6% $232

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Hafnarfjordur

$191 4.9% 27.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Hafnarfjordur

$255 6.6% 59.5% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Hafnarfjordur

$99 2.6% 31.4% $24

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Hafnarfjordur

$127 3.3% 183% $82

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $2,498 in Hafnarfjordur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafnarfjordur pays 282% 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 Hafnarfjordur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $619 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇮🇸 Hafnarfjordur

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

04:45 4:45 AM

3 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

31,525

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

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

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Hafnarfjordur 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Hafnarfjordur

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 Hafnarfjordur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 118% lower than in Hafnarfjordur. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 282% lower in Hafnarfjordur. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $2,498 in Hafnarfjordur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $124 in Hafnarfjordur. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Hafnarfjordur. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Athens and Hafnarfjordur are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Hafnarfjordur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.