Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varnamo and Athens

For one person, living costs are similar in Varnamo and in Athens: $1,692 and $1,759 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Varnamo
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Varnamo Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Varnamo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,692

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Varnamo versus $1,759 in Athens.

Varnamo $1,692
Athens $1,759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,672 in Varnamo versus $2,696 in Athens.

Varnamo $2,672
Athens $2,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,652 in Varnamo versus $3,632 in Athens.

Varnamo $3,652
Athens $3,632

Living in Varnamo costs roughly 4% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varnamo 24% above, Athens 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 SEK 129

$17.05 €15.31

-23.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 SEK 891

$65.8 €59.1

36.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.23 SEK 121

$10.96 €9.84

11.59%

Cappuccino

$4.68 SEK 46.47

$4.10 €3.69

14.15%

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

$2.72 SEK 26.99

$2.83 €2.54

-3.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SEK 21.15

$0.59 €0.53

261.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 77.6

$5.62 €5.05

38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 SEK 70.3

$5.67 €5.09

24.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 17.03

$1.90 €1.70

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 SEK 24.81

$1.46 €1.31

71.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 SEK 35.20

$2.71 €2.43

30.63%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 45.97

$5.04 €4.53

-8.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 SEK 125

$15.08 €13.54

-16.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 SEK 116

$10.28 €9.23

14.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 SEK 156

$19.40 €17.42

-19.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 SEK 30.92

$2.12 €1.91

46.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 25.31

$1.91 €1.71

33.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.99

$1.41 €1.26

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 44.89

$2.13 €1.91

112.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 17.12

$1.04 €0.94

65.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 SEK 14.02

$1.13 €1.02

24.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 25.53

$1.13 €1.01

127.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 SEK 15.13

$0.81 €0.73

87.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 SEK 77.6

$5.52 €4.96

41.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 SEK 111

$9.99 €8.97

11.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 SEK 19.22

$2.04 €1.83

-5.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 SEK 26.25

$2.28 €2.05

15.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 SEK 31.70

$1.31 €1.18

143.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 SEK 742

$30.67 €27.55

143.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 SEK 50.1

$4.37 €3.93

15.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 SEK 10.71

$1.03 €0.92

4.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.06 SEK 408

$17.05 €15.32

140.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 17.08

$2.34 €2.10

-26.50%

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

$33.6K SEK 333.5K

$28.3K €25.4K

18.84%

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

$34.2K SEK 340.1K

$26.8K €24.0K

27.95%

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

$77.0 SEK 764

$200 €180

-61.50%

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

$17.22 SEK 171

$25.17 €22.61

-31.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.45 SEK 302

$29.65 €26.64

2.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.03 SEK 388

$50.4 €45.31

-22.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.33 SEK 222

$25.94 €23.30

-13.92%

Cinema Ticket

$15.36 SEK 153

$10.52 €9.45

46.01%

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

$157 SEK 1,558

$576 €518

-72.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,450 SEK 44.2K

$12.9K €11.6K

-65.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 SEK 799

$89.7 €80.6

-10.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 SEK 564

$39.57 €35.55

43.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 SEK 992

$105 €94.7

-5.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 SEK 1,223

$124 €111

-0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 SEK 7,889

$740 €665

7.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 SEK 6,075

$643 €577

-4.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 SEK 11.7K

$1,305 €1,172

-9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$985 SEK 9,780

$1,121 €1,007

-12.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,023 SEK 40.0K

$4,011 €3,603

0.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,853 SEK 28.3K

$3,284 €2,950

-13.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,032 SEK 20.2K

$1,224 €1,099

66.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

4.48

-32.37%

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

Last update for Varnamo: October 24, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varnamo

$612 36.2%

Athens

$643 36.5% 5.1% $31

Groceries & Markets

Varnamo

$357 21.1%

Athens

$312 17.7% 12.5% $45

Eating Out

Varnamo

$269 15.9%

Athens

$272 15.4% 0.8% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Varnamo

$162 9.6%

Athens

$161 9.2% 0.5% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varnamo

$125 7.4%

Athens

$255 14.5% 104% $130

Getting Around

Varnamo

$98 5.8%

Athens

$45 2.6% 53.6% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Varnamo

$70 4.1%

Athens

$71 4.1% 2.5% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Varnamo and $740 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90 in Varnamo vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $312 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Varnamo

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

16:47 4:47 PM

1 h ahead of Varnamo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,778

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.93 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.05 SEK (100 SEK = 9.05 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Varnamo Athens 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Varnamo
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

Varnamo vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varnamo wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Varnamo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Varnamo, 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: $794 in Varnamo versus $740 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 $66 versus $90 in Varnamo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Varnamo versus $1,759 in Athens – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Varnamo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Varnamo 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.