Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Keflavik and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,992 in Keflavik, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Keflavik
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Keflavik Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Keflavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$2,992

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Keflavik 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 Keflavik and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,992 in Keflavik versus $1,775 in Athens.

Keflavik $2,992
Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,538 in Keflavik versus $2,721 in Athens.

Keflavik $4,538
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,084 in Keflavik versus $3,666 in Athens.

Keflavik $6,084
Athens $3,666

Living in Keflavik is roughly 69% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Keflavik 122% above, Athens 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.71 ISK 2,997

$16.69 €14.84

48.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 ISK 15.0K

$67.8 €60.3

82.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.40 ISK 2,475

$11.14 €9.91

83.12%

Cappuccino

$4.06 ISK 493

$4.03 €3.58

0.74%

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

$3.18 ISK 386

$2.77 €2.46

14.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ISK 387

$0.55 €0.49

480.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 ISK 970

$5.74 €5.10

39.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.34 ISK 1,012

$5.45 €4.85

53.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.82 €1.62

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.23 ISK 513

$1.38 €1.23

206.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ISK 307

$2.80 €2.49

-9.64%

Eggs

$6.32 ISK 767

$4.83 €4.30

30.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ISK 2,311

$15.05 €13.39

26.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.38 ISK 2,958

$10.63 €9.45

129.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.25 ISK 5,003

$18.43 €16.39

123.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 ISK 301

$2.20 €1.96

12.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 ISK 304

$1.90 €1.69

32.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 ISK 296

$1.37 €1.22

78.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 486

$2.10 €1.87

90.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 ISK 388

$1.08 €0.96

196.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ISK 206

$1.12 €1.00

51.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.84 ISK 465

$1.12 €1.00

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ISK 215

$0.88 €0.79

102.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 ISK 1,695

$5.48 €4.88

154.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.58 ISK 2,012

$10.13 €9.01

63.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 ISK 438

$2.13 €1.89

69.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ISK 356

$2.25 €2.00

30.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.68 ISK 446

$1.36 €1.21

170.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.6 ISK 9,407

$29.89 €26.59

159.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 804

$4.45 €3.96

48.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 ISK 312

$1.02 €0.90

152.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.2 ISK 9,727

$16.92 €15.05

373.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$2.25 €2.00

-6.67%

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

$50.1K ISK 6.1M

$28.0K €24.9K

78.89%

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

$54.7K ISK 6.6M

$28.2K €25.1K

93.70%

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

$94.8 ISK 11.5K

$205 €182

-53.67%

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

$33.29 ISK 4,038

$26.65 €23.71

24.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

$30.38 €27.02

179.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.5 ISK 9,526

$54.5 €48.47

44.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

Cinema Ticket

$19.48 ISK 2,363

$10.42 €9.27

86.95%

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

$407 ISK 49.3K

$569 €506

-28.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

$12.6K €11.2K

104.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$152 ISK 18.4K

$88.7 €78.9

71.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 ISK 7,934

$40.46 €35.99

61.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$182 ISK 22.0K

$105 €93.3

73.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 ISK 23.1K

$121 €108

57.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 ISK 230.0K

$741 €659

155.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ISK 161.2K

$655 €582

103.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,516 ISK 305.1K

$1,300 €1,156

93.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 ISK 250.0K

$1,148 €1,021

79.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,752 ISK 455.0K

$1,242 €1,105

201.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

4.48

96.65%

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

Last update for Keflavik: 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

Keflavik

$1.3K 44.4%

Athens

$655 36.9% 50.7% $674

Groceries & Markets

Keflavik

$566 18.9%

Athens

$310 17.5% 45.1% $255

Eating Out

Keflavik

$390 13%

Athens

$268 15.1% 31.2% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Keflavik

$265 8.9%

Athens

$160 9% 39.7% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Keflavik

$213 7.1%

Athens

$262 14.7% 22.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Keflavik

$118 3.9%

Athens

$75 4.2% 35.9% $42

Getting Around

Keflavik

$112 3.7%

Athens

$45 2.5% 59.8% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,896 in Keflavik and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keflavik pays 202% 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: $124 in Keflavik vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $566 vs $310 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Keflavik

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

05:35 5:35 AM

3 h ahead of Keflavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

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

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Keflavik Athens 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Keflavik
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

Keflavik vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Keflavik. 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 202% higher in Keflavik, 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: $1,896 in Keflavik 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 $124 in Keflavik. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,992 per month in Keflavik versus $1,775 in Athens – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,992 in Keflavik, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Keflavik. 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, Keflavik 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 69% less than in Keflavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.