Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Hastings Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Hastings

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,734 in Athens versus $1,421 in Hastings.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,653 in Athens versus $2,292 in Hastings.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,572 in Athens versus $3,162 in Hastings.

Living in Athens is roughly 22% more expensive than Hastings, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 30% above, Hastings 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 €14.65

$12.12 NZ$20.60

41.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.7

$83.7 NZ$142

-23.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €8.75

$9.51 NZ$16.17

7.78%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.72

$3.41 NZ$5.80

27.86%

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

$2.46 €2.10

$1.85 NZ$3.15

32.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.57

$2.05 NZ$3.49

-67.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €4.85

$5.89 NZ$10.02

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 €5.05

$7.28 NZ$12.37

-18.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.90 NZ$3.23

1.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.16

$2.04 NZ$3.47

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.46

$1.94 NZ$3.30

48.45%

Eggs

$4.98 €4.25

$6.16 NZ$10.47

-19.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.82 €12.65

$8.02 NZ$13.64

84.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 €9.63

$11.16 NZ$18.98

0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 €12.72

$12.63 NZ$21.48

17.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.89

$2.86 NZ$4.86

-22.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$2.13 NZ$3.62

-1.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$3.01 NZ$5.12

-47.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.05

$4.80 NZ$8.16

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.17

$1.87 NZ$3.18

-26.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.00

$1.47 NZ$2.50

-20.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.17 NZ$3.70

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.97 NZ$1.66

4.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.68 €4.85

$21.89 NZ$37.21

-74.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 €9.49

$9.69 NZ$16.48

14.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.72

$3.72 NZ$6.32

-45.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.54

$2.84 NZ$4.83

4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.50 NZ$4.26

-44.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 €29.93

$61.4 NZ$104

-42.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.01

$2.78 NZ$4.73

69.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.84 NZ$3.12

-39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €14.81

$60.1 NZ$102

-71.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.67 NZ$2.83

21.56%

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

$28.6K €24.4K

$31.0K NZ$52.6K

-7.65%

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

$29.9K €25.5K

$20.7K NZ$35.3K

43.97%

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

$219 €187

$155 NZ$264

40.83%

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

$27.33 €23.34

$32.96 NZ$56.0

-17.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.85 €29.77

$51.8 NZ$88.0

-32.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 €47.91

$36.54 NZ$62.1

53.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.08 €22.27

$12.09 NZ$20.55

115.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.40 €8.89

$10.88 NZ$18.50

-4.41%

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

$559 €477

$806 NZ$1,371

-30.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,658

$12.7K NZ$21.6K

-10.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.4 €78.9

$62.9 NZ$107

46.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.70 €39.88

$53.2 NZ$90.4

-12.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.2

$116 NZ$197

-12.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$135 NZ$229

-8.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 €556

$395 NZ$672

64.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 €484

$349 NZ$594

62.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €998

$1,042 NZ$1,771

12.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 €876

$585 NZ$995

75.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,135 €3,531

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,458 €2,953

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,330 €1,136

$2,157 NZ$3,667

-38.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

6.94

-28.10%

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

Last update for Athens: April 26, 2026

Last update for Hastings: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Athens and $395 in Hastings. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hastings pays 62% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64 in Athens vs $84 in Hastings for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $325 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

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 vs Hastings: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hastings the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Hastings earns 62% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $650 in Athens versus $395 in Hastings. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hastings – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,734 per month in Athens versus $1,421 in Hastings – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,421 in Hastings versus $1,734 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hastings but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Hastings the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hastings delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,421 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hastings hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Hastings 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 Hastings gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.