Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merthyr Tydfil and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,067 in Merthyr Tydfil, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Merthyr Tydfil
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,067
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,067 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $1,775 in Athens.

  • Merthyr Tydfil $2,067
  • Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,860 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Merthyr Tydfil $2,860
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,654 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $3,666 in Athens.

  • Merthyr Tydfil $3,654
  • Athens $3,666

Living in Merthyr Tydfil is roughly 16% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Merthyr Tydfil 53% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Merthyr Tydfil
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.35 £17.52
$16.69 €14.84
39.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.9 £46.41
$67.8 €60.3
-8.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.50 £7.88
$11.14 €9.91
-5.75%
Cappuccino
$4.62 £3.46
$4.03 €3.58
14.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 £1.87
$2.77 €2.46
-9.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 £1.27
$0.55 €0.49
209.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.33 £4.75
$5.74 €5.10
10.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.76 £4.32
$5.45 €4.85
5.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Merthyr Tydfil
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 £1.04
$1.82 €1.62
-24.18%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 £0.45
$1.38 €1.23
-56.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 £1.27
$2.80 €2.49
-39.64%
Eggs
$4.07 £3.05
$4.83 €4.30
-15.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.31 £6.24
$15.05 €13.39
-44.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.83 £6.63
$10.63 €9.45
-16.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.98 £9.74
$18.43 €16.39
-29.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.66 £1.99
$2.20 €1.96
20.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 £1.28
$1.90 €1.69
-10.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.59 £1.94
$1.37 €1.22
89.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 £2.40
$2.10 €1.87
52.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.22 £0.91
$1.08 €0.96
12.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.33 £1.00
$1.12 €1.00
18.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 £0.87
$1.12 €1.00
3.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 £0.81
$0.88 €0.79
22.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.78 £17.09
$5.48 €4.88
315.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.38 £7.79
$10.13 €9.01
2.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.75 £2.06
$2.13 €1.89
29.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 £2.65
$2.25 €2.00
56.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Merthyr Tydfil
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.36 €1.21
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.5 £73.1
$29.89 €26.59
226.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.52 £2.64
$4.45 €3.96
-20.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.68 £1.26
$1.02 €0.90
64.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.25 £19.69
$16.92 €15.05
55.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 £1.54
$2.25 €2.00
-8.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K £29.2K
$28.0K €24.9K
38.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K £29.8K
$28.2K €25.1K
40.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Merthyr Tydfil
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$314 £236
$205 €182
53.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.39 £10.04
$26.65 €23.71
-49.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.97 £27.74
$30.38 €27.02
21.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Merthyr Tydfil
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.66 £29.75
$54.5 €48.47
-27.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.88 €23.02
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 £5.86
$10.42 €9.27
-25.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Merthyr Tydfil
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,255 £1,692
$569 €506
296.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.7K £18.5K
$12.6K €11.2K
96.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Merthyr Tydfil
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 £76.5
$88.7 €78.9
15.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.36 £36.28
$40.46 €35.99
19.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 £78.6
$105 €93.3
-0.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.9 £72.7
$121 €108
-20.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Merthyr Tydfil
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$784 £588
$741 €659
5.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$779 £585
$655 €582
19.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,144 £859
$1,300 €1,156
-11.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$989 £742
$1,148 €1,021
-13.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,014 €3,570
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,460 €3,078
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Merthyr Tydfil
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,581 £1,186
$1,242 €1,105
27.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
4.48
8.71%

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

Last update for Merthyr Tydfil: 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
Merthyr Tydfil
$779
Athens
$655 16% $125
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Merthyr Tydfil
$364
Athens
$262 28.2% $103
Eating Out
Merthyr Tydfil
$334
Athens
$268 19.6% $66
Groceries & Markets
Merthyr Tydfil
$266
Athens
$310 16.6% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Merthyr Tydfil
$158
Athens
$160 0.9% $1.5
Getting Around
Merthyr Tydfil
$109 *
Athens
$45 59% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Merthyr Tydfil
$55
Athens
$75 36.3% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $784 in Merthyr Tydfil and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Merthyr Tydfil pays 27% 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: $62.0 in Merthyr Tydfil vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $310 per month, with Merthyr Tydfil cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Merthyr Tydfil
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
01:03 1:03 AM
03:03 3:03 AM
2 h ahead of Merthyr Tydfil
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
43,820
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Merthyr Tydfil Athens 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Merthyr Tydfil
  • 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
Merthyr Tydfil vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Merthyr Tydfil or Athens?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Merthyr Tydfil. 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 Merthyr Tydfil or in Athens?
Average pay runs 27% higher in Merthyr Tydfil, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Merthyr Tydfil compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $784 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $741 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Merthyr Tydfil and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $62.0 in Merthyr Tydfil. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Merthyr Tydfil compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $2,067 per month in Merthyr Tydfil versus $1,775 in Athens – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Merthyr Tydfil or in Athens?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,067 in Merthyr Tydfil, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Merthyr Tydfil. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Merthyr Tydfil or Athens?
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 Merthyr Tydfil compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Merthyr Tydfil 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Merthyr Tydfil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Merthyr Tydfil vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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