Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Athens Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Athens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,807 in New Plymouth versus $1,696 in Athens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,786 in New Plymouth versus $2,642 in Athens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,765 in New Plymouth versus $3,588 in Athens.

Living in New Plymouth is roughly 7% more expensive than Athens, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Plymouth 35% above, Athens 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 NZ$25.95

$17.49 €15.06

-12.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 NZ$134

$63.5 €54.7

23.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 NZ$18.07

$10.62 €9.14

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.74 NZ$6.37

$4.34 €3.74

-13.82%

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

$2.33 NZ$3.98

$2.49 €2.14

-6.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 NZ$3.32

$0.67 €0.58

191.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.24 NZ$8.93

$5.90 €5.08

-11.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 NZ$12.23

$5.83 €5.02

23.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 NZ$3.46

$1.91 €1.65

6.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 NZ$2.64

$1.41 €1.21

9.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 NZ$2.96

$2.90 €2.49

-40.00%

Eggs

$6.15 NZ$10.47

$5.08 €4.38

21.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.59 NZ$12.93

$14.66 €12.62

-48.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 NZ$22.23

$11.32 €9.74

15.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.94 NZ$22.04

$15.08 €12.98

-14.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.66

$2.31 €1.99

-6.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.35

$2.17 €1.87

-9.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.35

$1.51 €1.30

107.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 NZ$11.42

$2.30 €1.98

191.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NZ$4.47

$1.35 €1.16

94.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.82

$1.18 €1.01

40.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NZ$3.35

$1.26 €1.09

56.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 NZ$2.40

$1.04 €0.90

35.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.22 NZ$36.14

$5.59 €4.81

279.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 NZ$14.76

$11.76 €10.12

-26.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 NZ$6.60

$2.04 €1.76

89.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 NZ$7.34

$2.90 €2.49

48.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 NZ$3.12

$1.41 €1.21

29.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 NZ$110

$34.49 €29.69

86.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 NZ$3.00

$4.62 €3.97

-61.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 NZ$5.87

$1.10 €0.95

213.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.28 NZ$61.8

$17.33 €14.92

109.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.81

$2.14 €1.84

-22.90%

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

$47.6K NZ$81.1K

$28.4K €24.5K

67.32%

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

$23.7K NZ$40.4K

$30.4K €26.1K

-21.85%

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

$214 NZ$365

$219 €188

-2.17%

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

$29.67 NZ$50.5

$26.82 €23.09

10.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.46 NZ$51.9

$34.71 €29.88

-12.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.20 NZ$61.7

$57.1 €49.13

-36.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.01 NZ$20.46

$26.57 €22.87

-54.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.16 NZ$19.01

$10.33 €8.89

8.03%

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

$741 NZ$1,263

$552 €475

34.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

$11.3K €9,693

5.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 NZ$154

$92.7 €79.8

-2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.47 NZ$62.1

$47.61 €40.99

-23.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 NZ$124

$100 €86.2

-27.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.1 NZ$111

$121 €104

-46.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 NZ$1,249

$660 €568

11.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NZ$1,162

$582 €501

17.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 NZ$2,299

$1,182 €1,017

14.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 NZ$1,974

$1,029 €886

12.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,360 NZ$5,724

$4,114 €3,542

-18.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,703 NZ$4,605

$3,388 €2,917

-20.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,971 NZ$5,062

$1,342 €1,155

121.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

4.99

18.84%

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

Last update for New Plymouth: May 31, 2026

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in New Plymouth and $660 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 121% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in New Plymouth vs $64.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $317 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

New Plymouth vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in New Plymouth. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

New Plymouth pays 121% more on average, 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: $733 in New Plymouth versus $660 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $79.0 in New Plymouth. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,807 per month in New Plymouth versus $1,696 in Athens – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,696 in Athens versus $1,807 in New Plymouth, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in New Plymouth. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,696 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, New Plymouth 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in New Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.