Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Reykjahlid

For one person, living is cheaper in Reykjahlid: $181 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Reykjahlid

🇮🇸 Iceland

$181

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Reykjahlid

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $181 in Reykjahlid.

Athens $1,779
Reykjahlid $181

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $265 in Reykjahlid.

Athens $2,721
Reykjahlid $265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $349 in Reykjahlid.

Athens $3,663
Reykjahlid $349

Living in Athens is roughly 885% more expensive than in Reykjahlid, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Reykjahlid is 87% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €15.06

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €59.1

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €10.03

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.65

$6.26 ISK 760

-34.82%

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

$2.77 €2.48

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.10

$11.76 ISK 1,429

-51.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.60

$11.82 ISK 1,437

-47.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.65

$2.32 ISK 281

-20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.28

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.39

Eggs

$4.95 €4.43

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.51

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.83

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.90

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.93

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.95

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.03

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.88

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.41

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.10

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

$27.8K €24.8K

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

$26.6K €23.8K

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

$202 €181

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

$26.81 €23.99

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.28

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.38

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.52

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.34

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

$568 €508

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €81.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.19

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €664

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €580

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,138

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €1,004

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,578

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,936

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,114

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Reykjahlid: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Reykjahlid

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Reykjahlid

–

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Reykjahlid

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Reykjahlid

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Reykjahlid

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Reykjahlid

–

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Reykjahlid

–

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇮🇸 Reykjahlid

🕒 Local time

21:56 9:56 PM

19:56 7:56 PM

2 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

300

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.36 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Reykjahlid 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Athens
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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 Reykjahlid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjahlid wins on cost – living expenses run 90% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Reykjahlid the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,669 in Athens and $271 in Reykjahlid to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1266% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $181 in Reykjahlid – Reykjahlid is about 90% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $181 in Reykjahlid versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Reykjahlid but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Reykjahlid the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Athens and Reykjahlid are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.