Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Athens, GA

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens, GA: $2,200 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Athens, GA
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Athens, GA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Athens, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Athens, GA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Athens, GA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,200 in Athens, GA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Athens, GA $2,200

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,313 in Athens, GA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Athens, GA $3,313

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $4,426 in Athens, GA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Athens, GA $4,426

New York, NY costs about 124% more than Athens, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Athens, GA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Athens, GA by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$13.19 $13.19

89.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$63.7 $63.7

88.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$10.36 $10.36

32.63%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.70 $5.70

15.79%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.93 $2.93

30.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.21 $2.21

29.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$7.52 $7.52

5.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.79 $7.79

29.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.82 $0.82

67.07%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.93 $2.93

62.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$6.57 $6.57

17.05%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.27 $3.27

79.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$8.81 $8.81

118.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$10.55 $10.55

69.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$14.58 $14.58

30.52%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.96 $5.96

12.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.36 $1.36

68.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$6.23 $6.23

2.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.73 $4.73

42.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.21 $4.21

-6.65%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.15 $4.15

8.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.62 $2.62

6.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.98 $1.98

26.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$9.03 $9.03

100.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$18.65 $18.65

8.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.78 $1.78

83.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$5.93 $5.93

-36.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$15.58 $15.58

815.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.00 $1.00

12.00%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$28.4K $28.4K

16.80%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.0K $27.0K

-4.57%

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

$219 $219

$285 $285

-22.92%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$41.91 $41.91

79.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$79.7 $79.7

-11.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$25.05 $25.05

361.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$7.80 $7.80

766.92%

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$12.95 $12.95

65.02%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$872 $872

293.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$9,396 $9,396

556.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$54.8 $54.8

36.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$31.97 $31.97

63.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$64.6 $64.6

80.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$54.5 $54.5

147.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,340 $1,340

224.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$957 $957

225.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,322 $2,322

292.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,860 $1,860

189.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,420 $2,420

696.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,230 $2,230

211.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$3,487 $3,487

50.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.72

1.93%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Athens, GA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Athens, GA

$957 43.5% 69.3% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Athens, GA

$399 18.2% 27.7% $153

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Athens, GA

$279 12.7% 31.5% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Athens, GA

$406 18.5% 11.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Athens, GA

$93 4.2% 45.6% $78

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Athens, GA

$16 * 0.7% 90.7% $153

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Athens, GA

$51 2.3% 67.8% $107

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,340 in Athens, GA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 50% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY versus $64.0 in Athens, GA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $399 – making Athens, GA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Athens, GA

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

115,452

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Athens, GA 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Athens, GA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 York, NY vs Athens, GA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 124%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $3,300 in Athens, GA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Athens, GA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY and $64.0 in Athens, GA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Athens, GA, where all-in costs run around $2,200, than in New York, NY at $4,938. In Athens, GA it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Athens, GA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Athens, GA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.