Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Tonsberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,771 a month against $2,630 in Tonsberg, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Tonsberg
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,630
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Tonsberg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $2,630 in Tonsberg.

  • Athens $1,771
  • Tonsberg $2,630

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $3,815 in Tonsberg.

  • Athens $2,736
  • Tonsberg $3,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $5,000 in Tonsberg.

  • Athens $3,701
  • Tonsberg $5,000

Living in Athens costs roughly 33% less than in Tonsberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Tonsberg 94% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Tonsberg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.97
$20.94 NOK 197
-19.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 €60.7
$105 NOK 991
-35.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 €10.17
$15.53 NOK 146
-26.40%
Cappuccino
$4.06 €3.61
$5.45 NOK 51.3
-25.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.44
$5.61 NOK 52.8
-51.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 €0.47
$5.37 NOK 50.6
-90.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.06
$11.46 NOK 108
-50.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 €5.06
$10.27 NOK 96.7
-44.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Tonsberg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.47 NOK 23.28
-25.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 €1.28
$3.72 NOK 35.01
-61.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$3.85 NOK 36.24
-26.75%
Eggs
$4.86 €4.32
$4.86 NOK 45.78
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.27 €13.58
$12.96 NOK 122
17.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.36 €9.21
$15.73 NOK 148
-34.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.10 €16.99
$31.41 NOK 296
-39.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$3.22 NOK 30.33
-31.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$2.57 NOK 24.20
-25.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 €1.25
$3.38 NOK 31.79
-58.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$4.78 NOK 45.04
-57.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 €0.93
$2.52 NOK 23.75
-58.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 €1.04
$2.79 NOK 26.26
-58.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.96
$2.93 NOK 27.54
-63.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 €0.75
$2.35 NOK 22.15
-64.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.49 €4.89
$17.24 NOK 162
-68.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.17 €9.05
$16.69 NOK 157
-39.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.90
$3.49 NOK 32.82
-38.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$4.14 NOK 38.94
-44.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Tonsberg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.37 €1.22
$4.55 NOK 42.80
-69.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.71 €26.43
$84.5 NOK 795
-64.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.39 €3.90
$11.70 NOK 110
-62.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 €0.89
$1.78 NOK 16.77
-43.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 €14.79
$70.5 NOK 664
-76.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.38 €2.11
$2.35 NOK 22.13
1.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K €25.3K
$47.7K NOK 448.8K
-40.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K €24.2K
$43.9K NOK 413.4K
-38.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Tonsberg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 €181
$267 NOK 2,513
-23.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.79 €23.83
$33.09 NOK 312
-19.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.16 €26.82
$53.8 NOK 506
-43.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Tonsberg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.7 €47.74
$49.11 NOK 462
9.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.40 €23.48
$37.03 NOK 349
-28.71%
Cinema Ticket
$10.59 €9.42
$17.21 NOK 162
-38.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Tonsberg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$566 €504
$238 NOK 2,236
138.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.4K
$12.8K NOK 120.8K
0.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Tonsberg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 €79.3
$99.7 NOK 938
-10.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 €36.01
$55.8 NOK 525
-27.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.3
$123 NOK 1,159
-15.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$156 NOK 1,469
-20.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Tonsberg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 €648
$1,187 NOK 11.2K
-38.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$647 €576
$983 NOK 9,254
-34.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,328 €1,181
$1,474 NOK 13.9K
-9.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$1,277 NOK 12.0K
-8.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,024 €3,579
$6,073 NOK 57.2K
-33.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,483 €3,098
$4,046 NOK 38.1K
-13.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Tonsberg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,240 €1,103
$4,435 NOK 41.7K
-72.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
4.94
-9.31%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Tonsberg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$647
Tonsberg
$983 51.9% $336
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$312
Tonsberg
$490 56.7% $177
Eating Out
Athens
$271
Tonsberg
$401 48.3% $131
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Tonsberg
$354 35.9% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$161
Tonsberg
$196 21.5% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Tonsberg
$84 11.6% $8.7
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Tonsberg
$123 177% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $1,187 in Tonsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 258% 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 $105 in Tonsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $490 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇳🇴 Tonsberg
🕒 Local time
22:49 10:49 PM
21:49 9:49 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
59,237
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Tonsberg 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Tonsberg

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 Tonsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Tonsberg?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Tonsberg. 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 Tonsberg?
On paper, salaries run 258% lower in Tonsberg. 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 Tonsberg?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Athens versus $1,187 in Tonsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Tonsberg?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $105 in Tonsberg. 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 Tonsberg?
All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $2,630 in Tonsberg – a 48% 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 Tonsberg?
At $1,771 in Athens versus $2,630 in Tonsberg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Tonsberg. 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 Tonsberg?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,771 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 Tonsberg?
Safety-wise, Athens and Tonsberg 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 48% less than in Tonsberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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