Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Swindon Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Swindon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,733 in Athens versus $2,252 in Swindon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,632 in Athens versus $3,299 in Swindon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,532 in Athens versus $4,346 in Swindon.

Living in Athens costs roughly 23% less than in Swindon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 30% above, Swindon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.31 €15.16

$20.69 £15.46

-16.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 €56.1

$81.7 £61.1

-21.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.23

$9.63 £7.20

9.45%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.81

$3.99 £2.98

9.02%

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

$2.39 €2.10

$1.87 £1.40

27.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.55

$1.47 £1.10

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.03

$5.11 £3.82

12.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €5.06

$4.88 £3.65

18.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.43 £1.07

34.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 €1.23

$1.35 £1.01

3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.45

$1.55 £1.16

80.00%

Eggs

$5.11 €4.47

$3.56 £2.66

43.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.68 €12.86

$8.52 £6.37

72.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.18 €9.80

$7.87 £5.89

42.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 €13.12

$12.87 £9.62

16.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$3.10 £2.31

-28.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.86

$1.55 £1.16

36.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.80 £2.09

-46.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €2.02

$3.35 £2.50

-31.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.43 £1.07

-4.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.70 £1.27

-27.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.00 £0.75

26.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.88

$1.77 £1.32

-42.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 €5.03

$21.26 £15.89

-73.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 €9.15

$15.58 £11.65

-32.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.75

$3.17 £2.37

-36.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.46 £2.58

-14.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.18

$3.24 £2.42

-58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.07 €29.85

$94.2 £70.4

-63.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 €4.14

$6.27 £4.69

-24.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.94

$1.55 £1.16

-30.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.66 €15.47

$15.06 £11.26

17.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.92 £1.44

5.73%

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

$29.0K €25.4K

$38.4K £28.7K

-24.38%

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

$29.4K €25.8K

$41.0K £30.7K

-28.29%

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

$217 €190

$223 £167

-2.92%

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

$26.99 €23.65

$16.05 £12.00

68.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.93 €30.61

$44.54 £33.30

-21.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €48.38

$34.89 £26.08

58.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.52 €23.23

$23.52 £17.58

12.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.50 €9.20

$13.84 £10.35

-24.13%

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

$551 €483

$1,229 £919

-55.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,680

$5,544 £4,145

99.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.8 €81.3

$57.3 £42.86

61.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.71 €41.80

$38.39 £28.70

24.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €88.2

$88.5 £66.2

13.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$98.9 £73.9

20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 €568

$1,246 £931

-47.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 €496

$1,109 £829

-48.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 €1,044

$1,920 £1,435

-37.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €901

$1,708 £1,277

-39.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,920 €3,434

$2,724 £2,036

43.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,291 €2,883

$3,101 £2,318

6.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,320 €1,156

$2,992 £2,237

-55.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

5.53

-9.76%

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

Last update for Athens: July 20, 2026

Last update for Swindon: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $648 in Athens and $1,246 in Swindon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Swindon pays 127% 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: $64.0 in Athens vs $82.0 in Swindon. Groceries flip the comparison at $312 vs $291, with Swindon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Swindon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Swindon. 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 127% lower in Swindon. 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: $648 in Athens versus $1,246 in Swindon. 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 $64.0 versus $82.0 in Swindon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,733 per month in Athens versus $2,252 in Swindon – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,733 in Athens versus $2,252 in Swindon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Swindon. 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 $1,733 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Swindon 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 30% less than in Swindon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.