Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens, OH: $1,669 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $39,200 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Athens, OH
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Athens, OH Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Athens, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $1,669 in Athens, OH.

New York, NY $4,938
Athens, OH $1,669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $2,495 in Athens, OH.

New York, NY $7,273
Athens, OH $2,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $3,320 in Athens, OH.

New York, NY $9,608
Athens, OH $3,320

Living in New York, NY is roughly 196% more expensive than in Athens, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Athens, OH 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$14.74 $14.74

69.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$49.20 $49.20

144.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$10.18 $10.18

34.97%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$4.98 $4.98

32.53%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.25 $2.25

69.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.41 $1.41

103.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$4.93 $4.93

61.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.03 $7.03

43.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.69 $0.69

98.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.06 $2.06

130.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$3.01 $3.01

155.48%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.25 $4.25

38.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$12.64 $12.64

52.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$8.63 $8.63

106.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$16.20 $16.20

17.47%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.60 $3.60

85.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.96 $0.96

138.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$2.79 $2.79

129.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$2.96 $2.96

128.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.69 $1.69

132.54%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.18 $2.18

107.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.66 $1.66

68.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.92 $1.92

30.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$9.09 $9.09

99.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$14.83 $14.83

35.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.14 $2.14

52.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.10 $3.10

20.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.02 $1.02

186.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.86 $3.86

-20.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.27 $1.27

70.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$25.15 $25.15

64.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.87 $0.87

28.74%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$36.3K $36.3K

-8.67%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.40%

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

$219 $219

$150 $150

46.50%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$29.86 $29.86

152.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$48.41 $48.41

45.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$11.85 $11.85

80.34%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,476 $1,476

132.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$19.5K $19.5K

216.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$46.08 $46.08

62.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$45.56 $45.56

14.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$65.4 $65.4

78.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$108 $108

24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,313 $1,313

231.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$701 $701

344.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$1,471 $1,471

519.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,216 $1,216

342.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$1,644 $1,644

1072.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$1,650 $1,650

320.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$3,377 $3,377

55.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.59

3.95%

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, OH: 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, OH

$701 42% 77.5% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Athens, OH

$322 19.3% 41.8% $231

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Athens, OH

$262 15.7% 35.7% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Athens, OH

$228 13.7% 37.6% $137

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Athens, OH

$119 7.2% 30% $51

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Athens, OH

$14 * 0.9% 91.5% $154

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Athens, OH

$24 * 1.4% 85% $135

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,313 in Athens, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 55% 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: $120 in New York, NY vs $49.00 in Athens, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $322 per month, with Athens, OH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Athens, OH

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 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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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Athens, OH 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Athens, OH

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, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens, OH is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 196% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 55% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,313 in Athens, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,938 per month in New York, NY versus $1,669 in Athens, OH – a 196% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,669 in Athens, OH versus $4,938 in New York, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Athens, OH but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Athens, OH the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Athens, OH is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Athens, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 196% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.