Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Roskilde

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,530 in Roskilde, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Roskilde
🇩🇰 Denmark
$2,530
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Roskilde

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $2,530 in Roskilde.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Roskilde $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $3,882 in Roskilde.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Roskilde $3,882

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $5,233 in Roskilde.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Roskilde $5,233

Living in Athens costs roughly 30% less than in Roskilde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Roskilde 87% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Roskilde
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$18.05 DKK 120
-7.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$112 DKK 742
-39.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$15.03 DKK 100.0
-25.88%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$6.93 DKK 46.06
-41.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$4.07 DKK 27.04
-31.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$3.33 DKK 22.15
-83.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$8.17 DKK 54.3
-29.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$8.38 DKK 55.7
-34.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Roskilde
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.04 DKK 13.55
-10.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$3.76 DKK 25.03
-63.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$2.40 DKK 15.95
16.67%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$4.89 DKK 32.53
-1.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$14.12 DKK 93.9
6.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$11.50 DKK 76.5
-7.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$17.93 DKK 119
2.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.65 DKK 17.62
-16.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$2.78 DKK 18.46
-31.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.07 DKK 13.79
-33.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$4.01 DKK 26.64
-47.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.75 DKK 11.61
-38.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.38 DKK 9.18
-18.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.45 DKK 9.66
-22.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.64 DKK 4.25
37.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$8.70 DKK 57.9
-37.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$7.55 DKK 50.2
34.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.99 DKK 13.22
7.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.68 DKK 17.82
-16.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Roskilde
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$75.9 DKK 505
-60.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$5.70 DKK 37.94
-21.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.68 DKK 11.19
-39.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$61.9 DKK 412
-72.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.27 DKK 15.09
-0.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$49.5K DKK 329.0K
-43.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$52.7K DKK 350.6K
-46.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Roskilde
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$216 DKK 1,436
-5.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$15.77 DKK 105
68.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$43.29 DKK 288
-29.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Roskilde
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$60.4 DKK 402
-9.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$16.22 DKK 108
-35.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Roskilde
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$374 DKK 2,488
52.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$6,075 DKK 40.4K
107.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Roskilde
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$106 DKK 704
-16.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$45.94 DKK 306
-11.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$151 DKK 1,004
-30.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$187 DKK 1,243
-35.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Roskilde
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$1,280 DKK 8,513
-42.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$1,141 DKK 7,590
-42.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$2,560 DKK 17.0K
-49.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,991 DKK 13.2K
-42.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$6,477 DKK 43.1K
-38.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$5,960 DKK 39.6K
-41.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Roskilde
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$4,095 DKK 27.2K
-69.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.67
22.07%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Roskilde: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Roskilde
$1.1K 74.4% $487
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Roskilde
$351 13% $40
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Roskilde
$360 34.2% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Roskilde
$275 5.1% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Roskilde
$220 37.8% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Roskilde
$93 23.2% $18
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Roskilde
$90 * 101% $45

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 $1,280 in Roskilde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roskilde pays 230% 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 $112 in Roskilde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $351 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇩🇰 Roskilde
🕒 Local time
08:49 8:49 AM
07:49 7:49 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
50,781
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

DKK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

Danish Krone exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 DKK (1 DKK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Roskilde 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Roskilde

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 Roskilde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Roskilde?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Roskilde. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Roskilde?
On paper, salaries run 230% lower in Roskilde. 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 Roskilde?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $1,280 in Roskilde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Roskilde?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $112 in Roskilde. 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 Roskilde?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $2,530 in Roskilde – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Roskilde?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,530 in Roskilde, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Roskilde. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Roskilde?
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.
How safe is Athens compared to Roskilde?
Safety-wise, Athens and Roskilde 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Roskilde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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