Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,336 in Skien, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Skien
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Skien Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Skien versus $1,775 in Athens.

Skien $2,336
Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,267 in Skien versus $2,721 in Athens.

Skien $3,267
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,197 in Skien versus $3,666 in Athens.

Skien $4,197
Athens $3,666

Living in Skien is roughly 32% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Skien 73% above, Athens 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 NOK 200

$16.69 €14.84

27.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 971

$67.8 €60.3

52.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 146

$11.14 €9.91

38.87%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.11

$4.03 €3.58

26.80%

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

$4.36 NOK 41.01

$2.77 €2.46

57.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 NOK 27.96

$0.55 €0.49

440.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.89 NOK 112

$5.74 €5.10

107.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.33 NOK 116

$5.45 €4.85

126.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.84

$1.82 €1.62

15.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 NOK 36.90

$1.38 €1.23

184.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 NOK 42.98

$2.80 €2.49

63.21%

Eggs

$5.66 NOK 53.3

$4.83 €4.30

17.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 NOK 124

$15.05 €13.39

-12.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 NOK 143

$10.63 €9.45

42.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.79 NOK 205

$18.43 €16.39

18.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.49

$2.20 €1.96

52.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.42

$1.90 €1.69

42.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.86

$1.37 €1.22

154.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 NOK 56.0

$2.10 €1.87

183.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 NOK 21.04

$1.08 €0.96

107.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.12

$1.12 €1.00

148.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 NOK 28.63

$1.12 €1.00

171.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NOK 23.33

$0.88 €0.79

181.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.02 NOK 179

$5.48 €4.88

247.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 NOK 148

$10.13 €9.01

55.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.58

$2.13 €1.89

57.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.76

$2.25 €2.00

92.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 NOK 30.64

$1.36 €1.21

139.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 NOK 451

$29.89 €26.59

60.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 NOK 105

$4.45 €3.96

150.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NOK 17.02

$1.02 €0.90

77.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.8 NOK 667

$16.92 €15.05

318.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.39

$2.25 €2.00

0.89%

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

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

$28.0K €24.9K

69.50%

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

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

$28.2K €25.1K

53.58%

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

$93.9 NOK 884

$205 €182

-54.13%

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

$33.89 NOK 319

$26.65 €23.71

27.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 NOK 504

$30.38 €27.02

76.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.10 NOK 406

$54.5 €48.47

-20.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 NOK 144

$10.42 €9.27

46.74%

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

$239 NOK 2,247

$569 €506

-58.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

$12.6K €11.2K

24.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 NOK 600

$88.7 €78.9

-28.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 568

$40.46 €35.99

49.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 NOK 827

$105 €93.3

-16.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,442

$121 €108

26.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NOK 9,811

$741 €659

40.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 NOK 9,183

$655 €582

49.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 NOK 9,746

$1,300 €1,156

-20.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 NOK 8,841

$1,148 €1,021

-18.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

$4,014 €3,570

-15.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

$3,460 €3,078

-9.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

$1,242 €1,105

241.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.48

-2.46%

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

Last update for Skien: 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

Skien

$975 41.8%

Athens

$655 36.9% 32.9% $321

Groceries & Markets

Skien

$470 20.1%

Athens

$310 17.5% 33.9% $159

Eating Out

Skien

$391 16.7%

Athens

$268 15.1% 31.4% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skien

$181 7.8%

Athens

$262 14.7% 44.3% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Skien

$164 7%

Athens

$160 9% 2.7% $4.4

Getting Around

Skien

$81 3.5%

Athens

$45 2.5% 44.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Skien

$74 3.2%

Athens

$75 4.2% 2.2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,042 in Skien and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skien pays 241% 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: $103 in Skien vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $310 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Skien

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

21:44 9:44 PM

1 h ahead of Skien

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,769

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Skien Athens 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Skien
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

Skien vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Skien. 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 241% higher in Skien, 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: $1,042 in Skien 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 $103 in Skien. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,336 per month in Skien versus $1,775 in Athens – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,336 in Skien, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Skien. 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, Skien 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 32% less than in Skien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.