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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,812 in Hastings versus $1,834 in Athens.

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

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

Living in Hastings costs roughly 1% less than in Athens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.75 NZ$20.20

$17.70 €15.26

-33.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 NZ$99.9

$70.5 €60.8

-17.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 NZ$16.58

$11.65 €10.05

-17.17%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NZ$5.77

$4.33 €3.74

-22.40%

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

$1.94 NZ$3.34

$2.97 €2.56

-34.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 NZ$2.61

$0.58 €0.50

162.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 NZ$8.07

$5.86 €5.05

-19.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 NZ$10.39

$5.73 €4.94

5.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.12

$1.96 €1.69

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 NZ$3.83

$1.55 €1.34

43.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.19

$2.91 €2.51

-36.08%

Eggs

$5.98 NZ$10.28

$4.63 €3.99

29.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 NZ$13.70

$15.76 €13.58

-49.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.30 NZ$17.71

$11.01 €9.49

-6.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.44 NZ$21.39

$19.10 €16.46

-34.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 NZ$4.72

$2.24 €1.93

22.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.61

$2.10 €1.81

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 NZ$5.64

$1.47 €1.27

123.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 NZ$6.20

$2.21 €1.90

62.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.19

$1.16 €1.00

59.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 NZ$1.89

$1.18 €1.01

-6.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 NZ$2.58

$1.16 €1.00

29.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 NZ$1.65

$0.96 €0.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.38 NZ$31.61

$5.69 €4.91

223.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 NZ$16.43

$10.52 €9.07

-9.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NZ$5.83

$2.23 €1.92

52.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NZ$4.96

$2.77 €2.39

3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 NZ$5.11

$1.38 €1.19

115.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.4 NZ$152

$31.98 €27.56

176.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 NZ$3.42

$4.67 €4.02

-57.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.28

$1.06 €0.92

80.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.70 NZ$61.4

$17.34 €14.95

105.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.84

$2.33 €2.01

-29.18%

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

$26.1K NZ$44.9K

$28.6K €24.7K

-8.63%

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

$23.7K NZ$40.7K

$29.6K €25.5K

-19.98%

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

$202 NZ$347

$229 €197

-11.75%

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

$33.62 NZ$57.8

$28.03 €24.16

19.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 NZ$94.6

$32.16 €27.72

71.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 NZ$51.1

$56.5 €48.67

-47.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 €24.38

Cinema Ticket

$10.68 NZ$18.36

$10.97 €9.46

-2.64%

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

$1,112 NZ$1,911

$597 €515

86.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K NZ$23.1K

$13.6K €11.7K

-1.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.74 NZ$85.5

$93.6 €80.6

-46.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 NZ$51.2

$41.65 €35.91

-28.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NZ$180

$106 €91.3

-1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 NZ$162

$134 €115

-29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 NZ$1,438

$739 €637

13.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 NZ$1,285

$662 €570

12.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 NZ$2,854

$1,340 €1,155

23.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 NZ$2,087

$1,173 €1,011

3.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,996 NZ$8,590

$4,006 €3,453

24.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,474 NZ$5,973

$3,438 €2,964

1.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,650 NZ$2,836

$1,293 €1,115

27.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

4.37

23.34%

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

Last update for Hastings: September 7, 2026

Last update for Athens: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $836 in Hastings and $739 in Athens. 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: $58.0 in Hastings vs $71.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $325 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

Hastings vs Athens: 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.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Hastings, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $836 in Hastings versus $739 in Athens. 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 $1,812 per month in Hastings versus $1,834 in Athens – 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, Hastings and Athens 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.