Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southwark and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Southwark: $1,473 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Athens outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Southwark
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,473
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,473 in Southwark versus $1,775 in Athens.

  • Southwark $1,473
  • Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,277 in Southwark versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Southwark $4,277
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,080 in Southwark versus $3,666 in Athens.

  • Southwark $7,080
  • Athens $3,666

Living in Southwark costs roughly 17% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Southwark 9% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Southwark
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.89 £18.67
$16.69 €14.84
49.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.4 £73.8
$67.8 €60.3
45.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 £7.99
$11.14 €9.91
-4.40%
Cappuccino
$5.71 £4.28
$4.03 €3.58
41.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.22
$2.77 €2.46
7.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 £1.87
$0.55 €0.49
354.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.43 £7.07
$5.74 €5.10
64.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.01 £6.01
$5.45 €4.85
46.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Southwark
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 £1.47
$1.82 €1.62
7.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 £1.53
$1.38 €1.23
47.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.10 £1.58
$2.80 €2.49
-25.00%
Eggs
$4.40 £3.30
$4.83 €4.30
-8.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.64 £8.74
$15.05 €13.39
-22.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.39 £7.04
$10.63 €9.45
-11.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.91 £11.19
$18.43 €16.39
-19.10%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 £2.21
$2.20 €1.96
34.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 £1.02
$1.90 €1.69
-28.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 £2.15
$1.37 €1.22
109.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.38 £2.53
$2.10 €1.87
60.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 £1.24
$1.08 €0.96
52.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 £1.30
$1.12 €1.00
54.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 £0.98
$1.12 €1.00
16.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 £1.33
$0.88 €0.79
102.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.70 £17.78
$5.48 €4.88
332.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.87 £8.91
$10.13 €9.01
17.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.02 £2.27
$2.13 €1.89
41.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 £2.42
$2.25 €2.00
43.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Southwark
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.90 £2.93
$1.36 €1.21
186.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$159 £119
$29.89 €26.59
432.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.05 £3.79
$4.45 €3.96
13.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.70 £2.02
$1.02 €0.90
164.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.31 £29.49
$16.92 €15.05
132.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.14 £1.60
$2.25 €2.00
-4.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £28.9K
$28.0K €24.9K
37.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.2K £30.2K
$28.2K €25.1K
42.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Southwark
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$329 £247
$205 €182
60.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.85 £13.39
$26.65 €23.71
-33.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.79 £30.60
$30.38 €27.02
34.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Southwark
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$54.5 €48.47
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.88 €23.02
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.69 £13.27
$10.42 €9.27
69.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Southwark
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,484 £1,864
$569 €506
336.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.9K £22.4K
$12.6K €11.2K
137.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Southwark
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.9 £68.2
$88.7 €78.9
2.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.17 £34.63
$40.46 €35.99
14.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 £77.1
$105 €93.3
-2.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.2 £66.9
$121 €108
-26.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Southwark
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,309 £1,732
$741 €659
211.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$655 €582
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,679 £4,260
$1,300 €1,156
336.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,867 £2,901
$1,148 €1,021
236.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,014 €3,570
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,460 €3,078
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Southwark
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,165 £3,124
$1,242 €1,105
235.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.12
4.48
14.29%

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

Last update for Southwark: October 10, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Southwark
$388
Athens
$262 32.5% $126
Eating Out
Southwark
$385
Athens
$268 30.3% $116
Groceries & Markets
Southwark
$324
Athens
$310 4.2% $14
Getting Around
Southwark
$193
Athens
$45 76.8% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Southwark
$148
Athens
$160 8% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Southwark
$35 *
Athens
$75 113% $40
Accommodation & Living
Southwark
- *
Athens
$655

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 $2,309 in Southwark and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southwark pays 235% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Southwark vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $310 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Southwark
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
22:37 10:37 PM
00:37 12:37 AM
2 h ahead of Southwark
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
71,552
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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Southwark Athens 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Southwark
  • 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
Southwark vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Southwark or Athens?
Southwark wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Southwark the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Southwark or in Athens?
Average pay runs 235% higher in Southwark, 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 Southwark compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,309 in Southwark 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 Southwark and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Southwark – a meal for two runs $98.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Southwark compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $1,473 per month in Southwark versus $1,775 in Athens – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Southwark or in Athens?
At $1,473 in Southwark versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Southwark but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Southwark the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Southwark or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Southwark delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,473 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Southwark hard to pass up.
How safe is Southwark compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Southwark 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 Southwark gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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