Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Vasteras

For one person, living costs are similar in Athens and in Vasteras: $1,775 and $1,818 a month, rent and utilities included.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Vasteras
Learn more

Vasteras Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Vasteras

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Vasteras

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $1,818 in Vasteras.

Athens $1,775
Vasteras $1,818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $2,764 in Vasteras.

Athens $2,721
Vasteras $2,764

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $3,710 in Vasteras.

Athens $3,666
Vasteras $3,710

Living in Athens costs roughly 2% less than in Vasteras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Vasteras 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$13.70 SEK 136

21.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$64.6 SEK 640

5.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.91

$9.91 SEK 98.2

12.41%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$4.23 SEK 41.92

-4.73%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$2.25 SEK 22.27

23.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$2.22 SEK 21.97

-75.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$7.15 SEK 70.8

-19.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$7.08 SEK 70.2

-23.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.40 SEK 13.87

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$3.00 SEK 29.70

-54.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$3.57 SEK 35.37

-21.57%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.30

$3.89 SEK 38.55

24.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.39

$12.11 SEK 120

24.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$12.74 SEK 126

-16.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.39

$22.30 SEK 221

-17.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.19 SEK 31.59

-31.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.53 SEK 25.05

-24.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$3.67 SEK 36.37

-62.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$4.39 SEK 43.46

-52.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.47 SEK 14.55

-26.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.70 SEK 16.80

-34.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.18 SEK 21.62

-48.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.49 SEK 14.73

-40.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.88

$7.08 SEK 70.2

-22.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.01

$13.30 SEK 132

-23.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.32 SEK 13.10

61.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.17 SEK 21.54

3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$3.32 SEK 32.88

-59.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

$70.7 SEK 700

-57.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.96

$3.51 SEK 34.78

26.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$2.50 SEK 24.78

-59.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

$81.0 SEK 802

-79.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.66 SEK 16.49

35.54%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$33.2K SEK 328.6K

-15.48%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$32.0K SEK 317.5K

-11.89%

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

$205 €182

$183 SEK 1,817

11.56%

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

$26.65 €23.71

$22.17 SEK 220

20.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$43.15 SEK 428

-29.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

$34.14 SEK 338

59.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

$19.65 SEK 195

31.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.27

$16.74 SEK 166

-37.75%

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

$569 €506

$151 SEK 1,499

276.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$4,881 SEK 48.4K

157.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$101 SEK 1,002

-12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €35.99

$40.24 SEK 399

0.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$86.7 SEK 859

20.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$134 SEK 1,323

-9.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$750 SEK 7,429

-1.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$601 SEK 5,957

8.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$1,366 SEK 13.5K

-4.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$997 SEK 9,880

15.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

$3,564 SEK 35.3K

12.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

$2,404 SEK 23.8K

43.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,105

$2,996 SEK 29.7K

-58.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.53

26.91%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Vasteras

$601 33.1% 8.2% $53

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Vasteras

$380 20.9% 22.5% $70

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Vasteras

$258 14.2% 3.8% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Vasteras

$249 13.7% 4.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Vasteras

$163 9% 1.8% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Vasteras

$68 3.7% 10.2% $7.7

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Vasteras

$100 5.5% 123% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $750 in Vasteras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vasteras pays 141% 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 $65.0 in Vasteras. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $380, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇸🇪 Vasteras

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

01:04 1:04 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

110,877

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athens Vasteras 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Vasteras

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 Vasteras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Vasteras. 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 141% lower in Vasteras. 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: $741 in Athens versus $750 in Vasteras. 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 $68.0 versus $65.0 in Vasteras. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $1,818 in Vasteras – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $1,818 in Vasteras, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Vasteras. 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 $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Vasteras 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 2% less than in Vasteras. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.