Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Marsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Marsta: $1,642 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Athens outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Marsta
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,642
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Marsta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,642 in Marsta.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Marsta $1,642

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,549 in Marsta.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Marsta $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,456 in Marsta.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Marsta $3,456

Living in Athens is roughly 8% more expensive than in Marsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Marsta 22% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Marsta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$13.20 SEK 131
26.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$65.8 SEK 652
2.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$10.22 SEK 101
9.00%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$4.42 SEK 43.82
-8.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.00 SEK 19.85
38.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.75 SEK 17.30
-68.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$7.12 SEK 70.6
-19.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$6.78 SEK 67.2
-19.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Marsta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.69 SEK 16.77
7.69%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$3.04 SEK 30.15
-54.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$5.64 SEK 55.9
-50.35%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$3.57 SEK 35.39
35.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$13.48 SEK 134
11.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$8.95 SEK 88.7
18.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$16.90 SEK 167
9.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.03 SEK 30.05
-27.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$2.67 SEK 26.49
-28.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.96 SEK 19.43
-30.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$3.72 SEK 36.89
-43.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.41 SEK 13.98
-23.40%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.48 SEK 14.66
-24.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.95 SEK 19.31
-42.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.83 SEK 18.10
-51.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$7.15 SEK 70.9
-23.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$10.10 SEK 100
0.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.87 SEK 18.56
13.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.03 SEK 20.13
10.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Marsta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$3.36 SEK 33.27
-59.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$75.8 SEK 751
-60.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$13.16 SEK 130
-66.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$2.00 SEK 19.86
-49.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$56.4 SEK 559
-70.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.74 SEK 17.20
29.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$32.4K SEK 321.1K
-13.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$32.5K SEK 321.9K
-13.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Marsta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$60.2 SEK 597
239.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$27.96 SEK 277
-4.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$39.22 SEK 389
-22.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Marsta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$37.67 SEK 373
44.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$26.55 SEK 263
-2.52%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$16.03 SEK 159
-35.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Marsta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$216 SEK 2,137
163.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$5,033 SEK 49.9K
150.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Marsta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$49.36 SEK 489
79.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$30.13 SEK 299
34.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$89.4 SEK 885
17.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$100 SEK 995
20.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Marsta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$802 SEK 7,943
-7.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$610 SEK 6,042
7.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$1,347 SEK 13.3K
-3.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,005 SEK 9,954
14.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$3,974 SEK 39.4K
0.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$2,757 SEK 27.3K
25.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Marsta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$4,563 SEK 45.2K
-72.77%
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 Marsta: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Marsta
$610 6.8% $45
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Marsta
$348 12.2% $38
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Marsta
$254 5.4% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Marsta
$127 51.3% $134
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Marsta
$121 24.2% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Marsta
$70 7.4% $5.6
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Marsta
$112 150% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $802 in Marsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marsta pays 267% 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 $66.0 in Marsta. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $348, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇸🇪 Marsta
🕒 Local time
14:44 2:44 PM
13:44 1:44 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
24,068
💱 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 Marsta 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Marsta

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 Marsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Marsta?
Marsta wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Marsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Marsta?
On paper, salaries run 267% lower in Marsta. 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 Marsta?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $802 in Marsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Marsta?
Dining out is cheaper in Marsta – a meal for two runs $66.0 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 Marsta?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,642 in Marsta – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Athens or in Marsta?
At $1,642 in Marsta versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Marsta but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Marsta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Marsta?
Both work as nomad bases, but Marsta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,642 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Marsta hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Marsta?
Safety-wise, Athens and Marsta 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 Marsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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