Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Uppsala

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $1,978 in Uppsala, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Uppsala despite lower rent and utilities.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Uppsala
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,978
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Uppsala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,978 in Uppsala.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Uppsala $1,978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $3,051 in Uppsala.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Uppsala $3,051

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $4,124 in Uppsala.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Uppsala $4,124

Living in Athens costs roughly 10% less than in Uppsala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Uppsala 46% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Uppsala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$14.90 SEK 148
12.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$81.0 SEK 802
-16.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$9.87 SEK 97.8
12.87%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$4.98 SEK 49.39
-19.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$3.05 SEK 30.25
-9.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$2.40 SEK 23.74
-77.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$7.96 SEK 78.9
-27.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$9.87 SEK 97.8
-44.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Uppsala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.81 SEK 17.91
0.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.78 SEK 27.57
-50.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$4.59 SEK 45.48
-39.00%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$5.05 SEK 50.1
-4.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$10.12 SEK 100
48.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$14.77 SEK 146
-28.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
$17.86 SEK 177
3.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$4.18 SEK 41.42
-47.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$2.73 SEK 27.06
-30.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.49 SEK 34.63
-60.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$5.12 SEK 50.7
-58.98%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.94 SEK 19.20
-44.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.70 SEK 16.80
-34.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.64 SEK 26.21
-57.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.28 SEK 12.68
-31.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$7.96 SEK 78.9
-31.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$9.91 SEK 98.2
2.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$2.47 SEK 24.51
-13.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.52 SEK 24.94
-10.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Uppsala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$3.92 SEK 38.80
-65.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$111 SEK 1,103
-73.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$5.33 SEK 52.8
-16.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.32 SEK 13.13
-22.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
$61.3 SEK 607
-72.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.77 SEK 17.54
27.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$33.2K SEK 329.1K
-15.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
$32.1K SEK 318.3K
-12.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Uppsala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
$109 SEK 1,077
88.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$15.95 SEK 158
67.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$47.42 SEK 470
-35.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Uppsala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$39.13 SEK 388
39.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
$23.27 SEK 231
11.22%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$18.61 SEK 184
-44.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Uppsala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$126 SEK 1,248
351.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Uppsala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$105 SEK 1,037
-15.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
$48.48 SEK 480
-16.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$94.4 SEK 935
11.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$200 SEK 1,982
-39.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Uppsala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$892 SEK 8,836
-16.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$707 SEK 7,009
-7.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$1,750 SEK 17.3K
-25.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,138 SEK 11.3K
0.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
$5,186 SEK 51.4K
-22.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
$2,595 SEK 25.7K
33.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Uppsala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$3,008 SEK 29.8K
-58.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.8
17.89%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Uppsala
$707 8.1% $53
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Uppsala
$391 26.1% $81
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Uppsala
$290 8.2% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Uppsala
$172 34.2% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Uppsala
$201 26% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Uppsala
$76 1.4% $1
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Uppsala
$139 210% $94

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $892 in Uppsala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uppsala pays 142% 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 $81.0 in Uppsala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $391 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇸🇪 Uppsala
🕒 Local time
04:23 4:23 AM
03:23 3:23 AM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
166,698
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Uppsala 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Uppsala

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 Uppsala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Uppsala?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Uppsala. 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 Uppsala?
On paper, salaries run 142% lower in Uppsala. 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 Uppsala?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $892 in Uppsala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Uppsala?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $81.0 in Uppsala. 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 Uppsala?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,978 in Uppsala – a 11% 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 Uppsala?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $1,978 in Uppsala, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Uppsala. 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 Uppsala?
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 Uppsala?
Safety-wise, Athens and Uppsala 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 11% less than in Uppsala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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