Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Ystad

For one person, living is cheaper in Ystad: $1,646 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Athens outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Athens, Greece
Ystad, Sweden
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,759
/mo nomad
Ystad
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,646
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Ystad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $1,646 in Ystad.

  • Athens $1,759
  • Ystad $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $2,592 in Ystad.

  • Athens $2,696
  • Ystad $2,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $3,538 in Ystad.

  • Athens $3,632
  • Ystad $3,538

Living in Athens is roughly 7% more expensive than in Ystad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 29% above, Ystad 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Ystad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.05 €15.32
$12.15 SEK 121
40.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 €59.2
$86.1 SEK 857
-23.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.96 €9.84
$10.23 SEK 102
7.14%
Cappuccino
$4.10 €3.69
$3.06 SEK 30.48
33.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 €2.54
$2.98 SEK 29.66
-5.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 €0.53
$2.27 SEK 22.57
-74.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.62 €5.05
$6.99 SEK 69.6
-19.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.67 €5.09
$7.39 SEK 73.5
-23.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Ystad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.90 €1.70
$1.71 SEK 16.98
11.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 €1.31
$2.80 SEK 27.86
-47.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.71 €2.43
$3.15 SEK 31.31
-13.97%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.53
$3.10 SEK 30.82
62.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.08 €13.55
$11.51 SEK 115
31.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.28 €9.23
$8.84 SEK 88.0
16.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.40 €17.43
$16.46 SEK 164
17.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.12 €1.91
$2.99 SEK 29.76
-29.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.72
$2.44 SEK 24.32
-21.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 €1.26
$2.93 SEK 29.20
-51.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 €1.91
$4.52 SEK 44.94
-52.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 €0.94
$1.54 SEK 15.36
-32.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.02
$1.70 SEK 16.87
-33.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 €1.01
$1.96 SEK 19.46
-42.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 €0.73
$1.66 SEK 16.50
-51.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.52 €4.96
$8.19 SEK 81.5
-32.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.99 €8.98
$12.05 SEK 120
-17.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 €1.83
$2.05 SEK 20.39
-0.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.05
$2.28 SEK 22.73
-
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Ystad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.31 €1.18
$3.36 SEK 33.42
-61.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.67 €27.56
$79.1 SEK 787
-61.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.93
$6.05 SEK 60.2
-27.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 €0.92
$1.74 SEK 17.31
-40.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.05 €15.32
$59.2 SEK 589
-71.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.34 €2.11
$1.77 SEK 17.61
32.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K €25.4K
$29.9K SEK 297.7K
-5.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K €24.0K
$33.3K SEK 331.4K
-19.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Ystad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$200 €180
$105 SEK 1,044
90.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.17 €22.62
$19.69 SEK 196
27.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.65 €26.64
$30.14 SEK 300
-1.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Ystad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.4 €45.32
$37.44 SEK 373
34.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.94 €23.30
$26.36 SEK 262
-1.59%
Cinema Ticket
$10.52 €9.46
$12.15 SEK 121
-13.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Ystad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$576 €518
$180 SEK 1,789
220.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.6K
$4,351 SEK 43.3K
197.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Ystad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7 €80.6
$51.3 SEK 510
74.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.57 €35.55
$33.38 SEK 332
18.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €94.7
$87.4 SEK 870
20.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$133 SEK 1,328
-7.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Ystad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$740 €665
$792 SEK 7,883
-6.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$643 €578
$612 SEK 6,096
4.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,305 €1,172
$1,354 SEK 13.5K
-3.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,121 €1,007
$1,023 SEK 10.2K
9.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,011 €3,604
$4,023 SEK 40.0K
-0.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,284 €2,951
$2,767 SEK 27.5K
18.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Ystad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,224 €1,099
$1,881 SEK 18.7K
-34.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.06
46.41%

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

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ystad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$643
Ystad
$612 4.7% $30
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$312
Ystad
$337 7.9% $25
Eating Out
Athens
$272
Ystad
$235 13.3% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$255
Ystad
$155 39.3% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$161
Ystad
$137 14.8% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$71
Ystad
$62 13.6% $9.7
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Ystad
$107 136% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Athens and $792 in Ystad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ystad pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $86 in Ystad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $337 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇸🇪 Ystad
🕒 Local time
15:49 3:49 PM
14:49 2:49 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
18,350
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.95 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.03 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Ystad 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Ystad

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 Ystad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Ystad?
Ystad wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ystad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Ystad?
On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Athens. 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 Ystad?
Rent for a central apartment: $740 in Athens versus $792 in Ystad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Ystad?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66 versus $86 in Ystad. 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 Ystad?
All in, you’ll spend $1,759 per month in Athens versus $1,646 in Ystad – a 7% 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 Ystad?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ystad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Athens or Ystad?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Athens compared to Ystad?
Safety-wise, Athens and Ystad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Athens vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?