Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, GA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens, GA: $2,200 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Athens, GA
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Athens, GA Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Athens, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,200

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens, GA and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Athens, GA and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,200 per month in Athens, GA vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Athens, GA $2,200
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $3,313 per month in Athens, GA vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Athens, GA $3,313
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $4,426 per month in Athens, GA vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Athens, GA $4,426
New York, NY $9,608

Athens, GA is about 55% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Athens, GA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Athens, GA by 62%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.19 $13.19

$24.99 $24.99

-47.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 $63.7

$120 $120

-47.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 $10.36

$13.74 $13.74

-24.60%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$6.60 $6.60

-13.64%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$3.82 $3.82

-23.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.87 $2.87

-23.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 $7.52

$7.95 $7.95

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 $7.79

$10.06 $10.06

-22.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.37 $1.37

-40.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$4.75 $4.75

-38.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$7.69 $7.69

-14.56%

Eggs

$3.27 $3.27

$5.87 $5.87

-44.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$19.25 $19.25

-54.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 $10.55

$17.83 $17.83

-40.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 $14.58

$19.03 $19.03

-23.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$6.69 $6.69

-10.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.29 $2.29

-40.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$6.41 $6.41

-2.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$6.75 $6.75

-29.93%

Potato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.93 $3.93

7.12%

Onion (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.52 $4.52

-8.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.79 $2.79

-6.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.51 $2.51

-21.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.03 $9.03

$18.10 $18.10

-50.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.65 $18.65

$20.16 $20.16

-7.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.26 $3.26

-45.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.75 $3.75

58.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.58 $15.58

$143 $143

-89.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.12 $1.12

-10.71%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$33.1K $33.1K

-14.38%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.79%

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

$285 $285

$219 $219

29.73%

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

$41.91 $41.91

$75.3 $75.3

-44.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.7 $79.7

$70.5 $70.5

13.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.05 $25.05

$116 $116

-78.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.80 $7.80

$67.6 $67.6

-88.46%

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 $12.95

$21.37 $21.37

-39.40%

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

$872 $872

$3,432 $3,432

-74.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,396 $9,396

$61.7K $61.7K

-84.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$74.9 $74.9

-26.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 $31.97

$52.1 $52.1

-38.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.6 $64.6

$117 $117

-44.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.5 $54.5

$135 $135

-59.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 $1,340

$4,347 $4,347

-69.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 $957

$3,117 $3,117

-69.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,322 $2,322

$9,110 $9,110

-74.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$5,379 $5,379

-65.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,420 $2,420

$19.3K $19.3K

-87.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,230 $2,230

$6,943 $6,943

-67.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 $3,487

$5,238 $5,238

-33.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.85

-1.90%

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

Last update for Athens, GA: October 20, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens, GA

$957 43.5%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 226% $2.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens, GA

$406 18.5%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 10.1% $41

Groceries & Markets

Athens, GA

$399 18.2%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 38.2% $153

Eating Out

Athens, GA

$279 12.7%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 46% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Athens, GA

$93 4.2%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 83.8% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Athens, GA

$51 2.3%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 211% $107

Getting Around

Athens, GA

$16 * 0.7%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 980% $153

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,340 in Athens, GA versus $4,347 in New York, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 50% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Athens, GA versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $552 – making Athens, GA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Athens, GA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

08:26 8:26 AM

Same time as Athens, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,452

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Athens, GA New York, NY 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens, GA
New York, NY

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

Athens, GA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 124%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,300 per month in Athens, GA and $7,407 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Athens, GA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Athens, GA and $120 in New York, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Athens, GA, where all-in costs run around $2,200, than in New York, NY at $4,938. In Athens, GA it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Athens, GA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Athens, GA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.