Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalmar and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $1,907 in Kalmar, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Kalmar
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Kalmar Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Kalmar

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,907

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kalmar and in Athens

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kalmar and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,907 in Kalmar versus $1,775 in Athens.

Kalmar $1,907
Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,844 in Kalmar versus $2,721 in Athens.

Kalmar $2,844
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,781 in Kalmar versus $3,666 in Athens.

Kalmar $3,781
Athens $3,666

Living in Kalmar is roughly 7% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kalmar 41% above, Athens 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.70 SEK 146

$16.69 €14.84

-11.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 SEK 704

$67.8 €60.3

4.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 SEK 102

$11.14 €9.91

-7.81%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 46.09

$4.03 €3.58

15.38%

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

$2.82 SEK 27.99

$2.77 €2.46

1.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SEK 25.71

$0.55 €0.49

370.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.66 SEK 95.7

$5.74 €5.10

68.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 SEK 69.7

$5.45 €4.85

28.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 SEK 14.61

$1.82 €1.62

-19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 SEK 29.83

$1.38 €1.23

118.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 28.97

$2.80 €2.49

4.29%

Eggs

$4.59 SEK 45.43

$4.83 €4.30

-4.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 SEK 161

$15.05 €13.39

7.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.97 SEK 109

$10.63 €9.45

3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.76 SEK 216

$18.43 €16.39

18.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 SEK 24.38

$2.20 €1.96

11.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 SEK 26.06

$1.90 €1.69

38.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 33.69

$1.37 €1.22

148.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 SEK 42.33

$2.10 €1.87

103.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 16.12

$1.08 €0.96

50.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 SEK 22.82

$1.12 €1.00

105.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 SEK 18.19

$1.12 €1.00

64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 16.43

$0.88 €0.79

88.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.97 SEK 79.0

$5.48 €4.88

45.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.19 SEK 91.1

$10.13 €9.01

-9.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 19.44

$2.13 €1.89

-7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 SEK 24.87

$2.25 €2.00

11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 SEK 33.01

$1.36 €1.21

144.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.6 SEK 759

$29.89 €26.59

156.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.70 SEK 96.1

$4.45 €3.96

117.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 16.40

$1.02 €0.90

62.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.98 SEK 466

$16.92 €15.05

177.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.81

$2.25 €2.00

-24.44%

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

$29.9K SEK 296.3K

$28.0K €24.9K

6.66%

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

$28.7K SEK 284.4K

$28.2K €25.1K

1.66%

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

$142 SEK 1,403

$205 €182

-30.80%

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

$26.84 SEK 266

$26.65 €23.71

0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.79 SEK 315

$30.38 €27.02

4.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.76 SEK 305

$54.5 €48.47

-43.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.42 SEK 262

$25.88 €23.02

2.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 SEK 145

$10.42 €9.27

40.79%

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

$138 SEK 1,367

$569 €506

-75.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,914 SEK 48.7K

$12.6K €11.2K

-60.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 SEK 501

$88.7 €78.9

-43.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.32 SEK 419

$40.46 €35.99

4.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 SEK 791

$105 €93.3

-23.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SEK 998

$121 €108

-16.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 SEK 9,056

$741 €659

23.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 SEK 7,440

$655 €582

14.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 SEK 12.8K

$1,300 €1,156

-0.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

$1,148 €1,021

-3.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,041 SEK 40.0K

$4,014 €3,570

0.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,682 SEK 26.6K

$3,460 €3,078

-22.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,878 SEK 28.5K

$1,242 €1,105

131.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

4.48

-12.28%

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

Last update for Kalmar: October 12, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kalmar

$751 39.4%

Athens

$655 36.9% 12.8% $96

Groceries & Markets

Kalmar

$377 19.8%

Athens

$310 17.5% 17.6% $66

Eating Out

Kalmar

$288 15.1%

Athens

$268 15.1% 7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kalmar

$200 10.5%

Athens

$262 14.7% 30.7% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Kalmar

$123 6.5%

Athens

$160 9% 30% $37

Getting Around

Kalmar

$108 5.7%

Athens

$45 2.5% 58.4% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Kalmar

$60 3.2%

Athens

$75 4.2% 25.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $914 in Kalmar and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kalmar pays 132% 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: $71.0 in Kalmar vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $310 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Kalmar

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

1 h ahead of Kalmar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,170

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kalmar Athens 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kalmar
Athens

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

Kalmar vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Kalmar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 132% higher in Kalmar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $914 in Kalmar versus $741 in Athens. 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 $71.0 in Kalmar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,907 per month in Kalmar versus $1,775 in Athens – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $1,907 in Kalmar, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Kalmar. 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, Kalmar and Athens 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 7% less than in Kalmar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.