Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ludvika

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludvika: $1,544 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Athens outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Ludvika
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,544
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Ludvika

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,544 in Ludvika.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Ludvika $1,544

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,587 in Ludvika.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Ludvika $2,587

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,629 in Ludvika.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Ludvika $3,629

Living in Athens is roughly 15% more expensive than in Ludvika, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Ludvika 14% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Ludvika
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$13.65 SEK 135
22.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$65.3 SEK 647
3.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$9.70 SEK 96.2
14.85%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$4.29 SEK 42.50
-6.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.54 SEK 25.17
9.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$2.22 SEK 21.97
-75.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$6.88 SEK 68.2
-16.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$7.00 SEK 69.3
-22.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Ludvika
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.68 SEK 16.63
8.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.69 SEK 26.61
-48.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$3.80 SEK 37.67
-26.32%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$5.05 SEK 50.0
-4.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$13.20 SEK 131
14.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$12.86 SEK 127
-17.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$27.00 SEK 268
-31.74%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.12 SEK 30.87
-29.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$3.41 SEK 33.83
-44.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.52 SEK 34.84
-61.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$4.19 SEK 41.49
-49.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.40 SEK 13.92
-22.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.72 SEK 17.00
-34.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.18 SEK 21.63
-48.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.45 SEK 14.41
-39.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$7.15 SEK 70.8
-23.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$10.05 SEK 99.6
0.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.92 SEK 18.99
10.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.25 SEK 22.31
-
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Ludvika
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$13.11 SEK 130
-66.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.96 SEK 19.43
-47.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$79.6 SEK 789
-78.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.76 SEK 17.39
27.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$33.5K SEK 331.8K
-16.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$32.1K SEK 318.0K
-12.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Ludvika
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$97.8 SEK 969
109.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$19.65 SEK 195
35.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$46.53 SEK 461
-34.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Ludvika
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$29.93 SEK 297
82.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$49.60 SEK 492
-47.82%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$16.10 SEK 160
-35.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Ludvika
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$216 SEK 2,138
163.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Ludvika
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$99.6 SEK 987
-10.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$52.5 SEK 520
-22.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$93.8 SEK 929
11.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$213 SEK 2,113
-43.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Ludvika
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$448 SEK 4,439
65.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$428 SEK 4,241
52.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$945 SEK 9,362
37.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$980 SEK 9,712
17.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Ludvika
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$3,711 SEK 36.8K
-66.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
2.8
60.00%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ludvika: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Ludvika
$428 34.6% $227
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Ludvika
$403 29.8% $93
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Ludvika
$257 4.1% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Ludvika
$164 37.3% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Ludvika
$207 29.2% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Ludvika
$62 17.5% $13
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Ludvika
$23 * 49% $22

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 $448 in Ludvika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ludvika pays 199% 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 $65.0 in Ludvika. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $403, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇸🇪 Ludvika
🕒 Local time
16:27 4:27 PM
15:27 3:27 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
26,343
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Ludvika 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Ludvika

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 Ludvika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Ludvika?
Ludvika wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ludvika the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Ludvika?
On paper, salaries run 199% lower in Ludvika. 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 Ludvika?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $448 in Ludvika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Athens and in Ludvika?
Childcare runs $569 in Athens versus $216 in Ludvika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Ludvika?
Dining out is cheaper in Ludvika – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Ludvika?
At $1,544 in Ludvika versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ludvika but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Ludvika the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Ludvika?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ludvika delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ludvika hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Ludvika?
Safety-wise, Athens and Ludvika 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 Ludvika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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