Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Retford and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,771 a month against $2,255 in Retford, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Retford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,255
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Retford versus $1,771 in Athens.

  • Retford $2,255
  • Athens $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,343 in Retford versus $2,736 in Athens.

  • Retford $3,343
  • Athens $2,736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,432 in Retford versus $3,701 in Athens.

  • Retford $4,432
  • Athens $3,701

Living in Retford is roughly 27% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Retford 66% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Retford
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.72 £11.04
$16.83 €14.97
-12.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5 £49.87
$68.2 €60.7
-2.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.14 £5.36
$11.43 €10.17
-37.53%
Cappuccino
$3.88 £2.91
$4.06 €3.61
-4.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 £1.31
$2.74 €2.44
-36.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 £1.33
$0.53 €0.47
235.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.30 £3.22
$5.69 €5.06
-24.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 £3.26
$5.68 €5.06
-23.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Retford
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 £1.29
$1.85 €1.64
-7.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.83 £1.38
$1.44 €1.28
27.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.64 £1.23
$2.82 €2.51
-41.84%
Eggs
$4.66 £3.50
$4.86 €4.32
-4.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.18 £8.39
$15.27 €13.58
-26.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.16 £7.62
$10.36 €9.21
-1.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.50 £9.38
$19.10 €16.99
-34.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.09 £1.56
$2.22 €1.98
-5.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 £1.35
$1.92 €1.71
-6.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.76 £1.32
$1.41 €1.25
24.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$2.04 €1.82
-14.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.48 £1.11
$1.05 €0.93
40.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$1.17 €1.04
35.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.42 £0.31
$1.08 €0.96
-61.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 £1.17
$0.84 €0.75
85.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.33 £17.50
$5.49 €4.89
324.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.77 £5.83
$10.17 €9.05
-23.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 £1.27
$2.13 €1.90
-20.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 £1.53
$2.28 €2.03
-10.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Retford
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.65 £2.74
$1.37 €1.22
166.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$108 £80.7
$29.71 €26.43
262.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.93 £3.70
$4.39 €3.90
12.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.91 £2.93
$1.00 €0.89
291.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.85 £21.64
$16.63 €14.79
73.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 £1.57
$2.38 €2.11
-12.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.1K £30.1K
$28.4K €25.3K
41.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.2K £33.2K
$27.2K €24.2K
62.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Retford
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$342 £257
$203 €181
68.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.87 £20.91
$26.79 €23.83
4.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.53 £34.91
$30.16 €26.82
54.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Retford
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.7 £39.53
$53.7 €47.74
-1.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$26.40 €23.48
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.50 £8.62
$10.59 €9.42
8.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Retford
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,926 £1,445
$566 €504
240.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.9K £17.9K
$12.9K €11.4K
85.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Retford
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.1 £63.9
$89.1 €79.3
-4.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.8 £45.59
$40.48 €36.01
50.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 £81.4
$104 €92.3
4.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$161 £121
$124 €111
29.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Retford
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,398 £1,049
$729 €648
91.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$924 £693
$647 €576
42.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,099 £1,575
$1,328 €1,181
58.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,675 £1,257
$1,169 €1,040
43.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,059 £3,796
$4,024 €3,579
25.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,851 £2,889
$3,483 €3,098
10.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Retford
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,711 £1,283
$1,240 €1,103
37.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.3
4.48
18.30%

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

Last update for Retford: October 18, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Retford
$924
Athens
$647 29.9% $277
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Retford
$416
Athens
$260 37.5% $156
Groceries & Markets
Retford
$276
Athens
$312 13.3% $37
Eating Out
Retford
$230
Athens
$271 17.6% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Retford
$187
Athens
$161 13.9% $26
Getting Around
Retford
$147
Athens
$45 69.6% $102
Sport & Entertainment
Retford
$76
Athens
$75 1.1% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,398 in Retford and $729 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Retford pays 38% 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: $66.0 in Retford vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $312 per month, with Retford cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Retford
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
13:26 1:26 PM
15:26 3:26 PM
2 h ahead of Retford
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
22,023
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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Retford Athens 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Retford
  • 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
Retford vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Retford or Athens?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Retford. 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 Retford or in Athens?
Average pay runs 38% higher in Retford, 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 Retford compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,398 in Retford versus $729 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Retford and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $66.0 in Retford. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Retford compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Retford versus $1,771 in Athens – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Retford or in Athens?
At $1,771 in Athens versus $2,255 in Retford, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Retford. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Retford or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,771 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Retford compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Retford 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 27% less than in Retford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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