Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
Learn more

Reykjavik Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Reykjavik

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $4,037 in Reykjavik.

Athens $1,806
Reykjavik $4,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $5,666 in Reykjavik.

Athens $2,731
Reykjavik $5,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $7,295 in Reykjavik.

Athens $3,656
Reykjavik $7,295

Living in Athens costs roughly 55% less than in Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 35% above, Reykjavik 201% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.87

$30.59 ISK 3,730

-45.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

$136 ISK 16.5K

-51.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.87

$27.08 ISK 3,302

-59.16%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$6.72 ISK 819

-38.39%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$3.27 ISK 399

-14.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$3.16 ISK 386

-81.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$13.91 ISK 1,696

-59.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

$12.06 ISK 1,470

-54.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.04 ISK 248

-3.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

$4.32 ISK 527

-67.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$3.67 ISK 447

-22.89%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.50

$7.02 ISK 856

-28.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.70

$22.01 ISK 2,684

-30.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.23

$24.70 ISK 3,012

-58.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.93

$42.66 ISK 5,202

-55.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.37 ISK 412

-35.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.85 ISK 347

-32.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$3.17 ISK 387

-56.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$6.39 ISK 779

-65.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$4.01 ISK 489

-72.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$1.64 ISK 200

-31.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$3.80 ISK 463

-71.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.74 ISK 212

-52.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$13.80 ISK 1,682

-59.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.09

$23.38 ISK 2,851

-56.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$3.53 ISK 430

-38.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

$3.45 ISK 420

-28.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$5.77 ISK 704

-76.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.55

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

-67.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$6.63 ISK 808

-34.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$2.79 ISK 341

-62.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

$81.4 ISK 9,923

-78.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.11 ISK 257

9.48%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-44.93%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

-46.88%

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

$210 €187

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

136.55%

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

$26.70 €23.83

$31.53 ISK 3,845

-15.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

-64.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.72

$100 ISK 12.2K

-45.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

$48.20 ISK 5,877

-46.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

$19.87 ISK 2,424

-45.75%

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

$575 €513

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

-54.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

-57.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$161 ISK 19.6K

-42.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

$64.9 ISK 7,914

-37.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

$183 ISK 22.3K

-43.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$254 ISK 31.0K

-49.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

-69.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

-67.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,154

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

-62.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,038

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

-57.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

-49.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

-44.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,110

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

-73.49%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9% 207% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Reykjavik

$625 15.9% 98.6% $310

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Reykjavik

$526 13.4% 95.7% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Reykjavik

$205 5.2% 23.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Reykjavik

$298 7.6% 80.8% $133

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Reykjavik

$140 3.6% 84% $64

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 202% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $2,499 in Reykjavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 277% 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: $66.0 in Athens vs $136 in Reykjavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $625 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

13:45 1:45 PM

3 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Reykjavik 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Reykjavik

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 Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 124% lower than in Reykjavik. 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 277% lower in Reykjavik. 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: $756 in Athens versus $2,499 in Reykjavik. 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 $66.0 versus $136 in Reykjavik. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $4,037 in Reykjavik – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,806 in Athens versus $4,037 in Reykjavik, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. 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 $1,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Reykjavik 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 124% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.