Athens Ranks Seventh Most Stressful Among 170 Cities
Remitly's global index scores cities on travel time, living costs, healthcare, crime and air pollution, with New York ranked most stressful.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Remote Work
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Remitly published a global index ranking Athens seventh most stressful among 170 cities, with a score of 7.23 out of 10. Eindhoven, Netherlands ranked least stressful with a score of 2.34.
Why it matters
The index measures conditions of city life rather than how residents say they feel, offering a comparison of daily pressures such as commuting, cost of living and pollution. Readers considering where to live or work abroad can use the ranking to weigh these factors.
Scores are out of 10 and draw on data gathered in October 2025 across 170 cities, with Athens at 7.23 against an average 10 km travel time of 21 minutes. The index does not measure residents' own reported stress levels.
The players
Remitly
Remitly is a digital money transfer company that publishes research on global living conditions and migration.
The details
Each city received a score out of 10 based on five measures: travel time over 10 kilometres, cost of living, healthcare quality, perceived crime and air pollution. Half of the ten most stressful cities are European, and four Netherlands cities rank among the ten least stressful.
Timeline
October 2025: Data gathered for the stress index across 170 cities.
November 15, 2026: Remitly publishes the index ranking Athens seventh most stressful.
Remote Work
Remitly's index measures travel time, cost of living and healthcare, the same factors that shape whether remote workers can relocate to cities with lower daily pressure. Rankings like this one give location-independent professionals a comparison point when choosing where to base themselves.
Readers weighing a move or remote posting abroad can use the travel-time and cost-of-living measures to compare daily commuting and expenses across cities. Commute length alone can differ by more than 10 minutes on a 10 km trip, which affects weekly schedules.
The takeaway
Daily travel time and the cost of living shape the everyday stress of a city as much as headline reputation does. Comparing these measures before relocating can clarify which trade-offs fit your work and routine.
Further reading
For more on where location-independent workers choose to live, explore Remote Work.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Greek City Times.
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