Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selfoss and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $3,460 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index

Jump to prices

Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,460

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,460 in Selfoss versus $1,806 in Athens.

Selfoss $3,460
Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,461 in Selfoss versus $2,731 in Athens.

Selfoss $2,461
Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,462 in Selfoss versus $3,656 in Athens.

Selfoss $1,462
Athens $3,656

Living in Selfoss is roughly 92% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Selfoss 158% above, Athens 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.85

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.0

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.81 ISK 2,536

$11.06 €9.86

88.16%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

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

$2.80 €2.50

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.20 ISK 1,487

$5.64 €5.03

116.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.86

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ISK 219

$1.96 €1.74

-8.67%

White Bread (500g)

$7.61 ISK 927

$1.41 €1.25

439.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 ISK 544

$2.83 €2.53

57.60%

Eggs

$6.56 ISK 800

$5.04 €4.49

30.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.24 ISK 2,101

$15.35 €13.68

12.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$21.77 ISK 2,653

$10.34 €9.22

110.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.50 ISK 4,082

$18.97 €16.92

76.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 ISK 332

$2.17 €1.93

25.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 ISK 335

$1.91 €1.70

43.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 ISK 323

$1.38 €1.23

92.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.51 ISK 915

$2.20 €1.96

241.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 ISK 391

$1.10 €0.98

191.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 ISK 266

$1.13 €1.00

92.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.60 ISK 438

$1.10 €0.98

227.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ISK 175

$0.83 €0.74

73.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.97 ISK 1,946

$5.60 €4.99

185.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 ISK 143

$2.45 €2.18

-52.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.06

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

$28.0K €24.9K

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

$28.0K €25.0K

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

$210 €187

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

$26.70 €23.80

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.86

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.68

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.21

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.61

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

$575 €513

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.27

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 ISK 343.6K

$652 €582

332.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,153

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,037

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,574

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,078

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,109

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Selfoss: October 4, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Selfoss

–

Athens

$652 36.5%

Groceries & Markets

Selfoss

–

Athens

$315 17.6%

Eating Out

Selfoss

–

Athens

$269 15%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selfoss

–

Athens

$267 14.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Selfoss

–

Athens

$165 9.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Selfoss

–

Athens

$76 4.3%

Getting Around

Selfoss

–

Athens

$46 2.6%

Good to know

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

11:14 11:14 AM

3 h ahead of Selfoss

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,000

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Selfoss Athens 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Selfoss
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

Selfoss vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in Selfoss. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,190 in Selfoss and $2,709 in Athens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Selfoss. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,460 per month in Selfoss versus $1,806 in Athens – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,806 in Athens versus $3,460 in Selfoss, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Selfoss. 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 $1,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Selfoss 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 92% less than in Selfoss. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.