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: $1,834 in Athens versus $1,812 in Hastings.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Athens versus $2,678 in Hastings.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Athens versus $3,544 in Hastings.

Living in Athens is roughly 1% more expensive than in Hastings, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 33% above, Hastings 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 €15.26

$11.75 NZ$20.20

50.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.8

$58.1 NZ$99.9

21.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.05

$9.65 NZ$16.58

20.73%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.74

$3.36 NZ$5.77

28.87%

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

$2.97 €2.56

$1.94 NZ$3.34

53.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.50

$1.52 NZ$2.61

-61.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$4.69 NZ$8.07

24.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.94

$6.04 NZ$10.39

-5.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.82 NZ$3.12

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.34

$2.23 NZ$3.83

-30.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$1.86 NZ$3.19

56.45%

Eggs

$4.63 €3.99

$5.98 NZ$10.28

-22.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.58

$7.97 NZ$13.70

97.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 €9.49

$10.30 NZ$17.71

6.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.46

$12.44 NZ$21.39

53.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.75 NZ$4.72

-18.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.10 NZ$3.61

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$3.28 NZ$5.64

-55.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$3.60 NZ$6.20

-38.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.85 NZ$3.19

-37.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.10 NZ$1.89

7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.50 NZ$2.58

-22.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$0.96 NZ$1.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.91

$18.38 NZ$31.61

-69.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 €9.07

$9.55 NZ$16.43

10.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$3.39 NZ$5.83

-34.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.88 NZ$4.96

-3.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.97 NZ$5.11

-53.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 €27.56

$88.4 NZ$152

-63.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.02

$1.99 NZ$3.42

134.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.91 NZ$3.28

-44.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €14.95

$35.70 NZ$61.4

-51.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.01

$1.65 NZ$2.84

41.21%

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

$28.6K €24.7K

$26.1K NZ$44.9K

9.44%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$23.7K NZ$40.7K

24.97%

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

$229 €197

$202 NZ$347

13.31%

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

$28.03 €24.16

$33.62 NZ$57.8

-16.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.16 €27.72

$55.0 NZ$94.6

-41.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.67

$29.69 NZ$51.1

90.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 €24.38

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.46

$10.68 NZ$18.36

2.72%

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

$597 €515

$1,112 NZ$1,911

-46.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.7K

$13.4K NZ$23.1K

1.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €80.6

$49.74 NZ$85.5

88.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €35.91

$29.80 NZ$51.2

39.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.3

$105 NZ$180

1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$94.3 NZ$162

41.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €637

$836 NZ$1,438

-11.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €570

$747 NZ$1,285

-11.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,155

$1,660 NZ$2,854

-19.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,011

$1,214 NZ$2,087

-3.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,006 €3,453

$4,996 NZ$8,590

-19.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,438 €2,964

$3,474 NZ$5,973

-1.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,293 €1,115

$1,650 NZ$2,836

-21.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

5.39

-18.92%

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

Last update for Athens: September 5, 2026

Last update for Hastings: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Athens and $836 in Hastings. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hastings pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Athens vs $58.0 in Hastings for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $309 per month, with Hastings 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 1% 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, salaries run 28% lower in Hastings. 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: $739 in Athens versus $836 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 $58.0 versus $71.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,834 per month in Athens versus $1,812 in Hastings – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,812 in Hastings versus $1,834 in Athens, a $2,000 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 $1,812 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 1% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.