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: $1,695 in Athens versus $1,437 in Hastings.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,646 in Athens versus $2,262 in Hastings.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,597 in Athens versus $3,088 in Hastings.

Living in Athens is roughly 18% more expensive than Hastings, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 26% above, Hastings 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.13 €14.76

$11.92 NZ$20.35

43.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.9

$83.3 NZ$142

-24.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 €8.90

$9.61 NZ$16.42

7.49%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.73

$3.35 NZ$5.72

28.96%

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

$2.51 €2.17

$1.85 NZ$3.17

35.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.54

$2.08 NZ$3.54

-70.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 €5.08

$6.13 NZ$10.46

-3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$7.40 NZ$12.64

-22.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.89 NZ$3.22

-0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.22

$2.01 NZ$3.44

-29.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.42

$1.86 NZ$3.17

51.08%

Eggs

$4.91 €4.23

$6.02 NZ$10.29

-18.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €13.01

$8.20 NZ$14.00

84.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.97 €9.45

$11.22 NZ$19.15

-2.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 €12.80

$12.77 NZ$21.81

16.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.84 NZ$4.85

-19.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.05 NZ$3.50

0.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 €1.29

$3.10 NZ$5.30

-51.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$4.80 NZ$8.20

-50.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.88 NZ$3.20

-26.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.46 NZ$2.49

-16.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$2.19 NZ$3.74

-42.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$0.97 NZ$1.66

3.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.82

$22.11 NZ$37.76

-74.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 €8.82

$9.63 NZ$16.45

6.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.69 NZ$6.31

-45.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.99 NZ$5.10

-0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.44 NZ$4.17

-44.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.09 €30.24

$60.2 NZ$103

-41.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 €3.89

$2.67 NZ$4.56

69.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.84 NZ$3.14

-41.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.45 €15.04

$61.1 NZ$104

-71.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.74 NZ$2.96

17.82%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$31.1K NZ$53.2K

-6.02%

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

$30.5K €26.3K

$21.0K NZ$35.9K

44.88%

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

$213 €184

$160 NZ$273

33.45%

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

$27.57 €23.75

$33.00 NZ$56.4

-16.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.09 €30.23

$51.5 NZ$87.9

-31.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 €48.83

$36.80 NZ$62.8

53.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.21 €22.58

$12.00 NZ$20.49

118.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.30 €8.87

$10.92 NZ$18.66

-5.68%

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

$557 €480

$791 NZ$1,350

-29.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €9,888

$12.6K NZ$21.5K

-8.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 €79.0

$62.2 NZ$106

47.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.49 €40.05

$52.1 NZ$88.9

-10.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$113 NZ$192

-9.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$133 NZ$227

-8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 €558

$394 NZ$673

64.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 €493

$343 NZ$585

66.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 €1,036

$1,081 NZ$1,846

11.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 €864

$594 NZ$1,014

68.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,026 €3,469

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,372 €2,905

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,316 €1,134

$1,645 NZ$2,810

-20.01%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Hastings: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Athens and $394 in Hastings. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hastings pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Athens vs $83.0 in Hastings for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 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 18% 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 25% 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: $647 in Athens versus $394 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 $83.0 versus $63.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,695 per month in Athens versus $1,437 in Hastings – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,437 in Hastings versus $1,695 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 $1,437 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 18% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.