Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aliso Viejo, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Aliso Viejo, CA: $3,964 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in Aliso Viejo, CA
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Aliso Viejo, CA Living Index
239

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

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Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,964

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aliso Viejo, CA and in New York, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $4,938 in New York, NY.

Aliso Viejo, CA $3,964
New York, NY $4,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,003 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Aliso Viejo, CA $6,003
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,043 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $9,608 in New York, NY.

Aliso Viejo, CA $8,043
New York, NY $9,608

Living in Aliso Viejo, CA costs roughly 20% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aliso Viejo, CA 193% above, New York, NY 264% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.73 $24.73

$24.99 $24.99

-1.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$120 $120

-18.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.32 $14.32

$13.74 $13.74

4.22%

Cappuccino

$5.91 $5.91

$6.60 $6.60

-10.45%

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

$3.51 $3.51

$3.82 $3.82

-8.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.87 $2.87

-2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 $8.22

$7.95 $7.95

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 $9.94

$10.06 $10.06

-1.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.37 $1.37

-16.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.75 $4.75

0.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$7.69 $7.69

-38.62%

Eggs

$5.08 $5.08

$5.87 $5.87

-13.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$19.25 $19.25

-41.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.09 $16.09

$17.83 $17.83

-9.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 $17.67

$19.03 $19.03

-7.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$6.69 $6.69

-17.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.29 $2.29

-24.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$6.41 $6.41

-26.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 $6.62

$6.75 $6.75

-1.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.93 $3.93

-8.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.52 $4.52

-37.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.79 $2.79

-21.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.51 $2.51

-3.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.92 $11.92

$18.10 $18.10

-34.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$20.16 $20.16

-24.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$3.26 $3.26

-44.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.75 $3.75

-17.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.92 $2.92

5.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.06 $3.06

46.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.16 $2.16

-11.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.04 $32.04

$41.33 $41.33

-22.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.12 $1.12

41.96%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$33.1K $33.1K

5.63%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$25.7K $25.7K

5.04%

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

$212 $212

$219 $219

-3.41%

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

$71.5 $71.5

$75.3 $75.3

-5.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$70.5 $70.5

1.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.84 $38.84

$116 $116

-66.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$17.19 $17.19

$21.37 $21.37

-19.56%

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

$1,698 $1,698

$3,432 $3,432

-50.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$61.7K $61.7K

-48.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 $72.5

$74.9 $74.9

-3.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 $65.1

$52.1 $52.1

24.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$117 $117

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 $169

$135 $135

25.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,908 $2,908

$4,347 $4,347

-33.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,466 $2,466

$3,117 $3,117

-20.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,191 $4,191

$9,110 $9,110

-54.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$5,379 $5,379

-13.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,007 $7,007

$19.3K $19.3K

-63.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,500 $6,500

$6,943 $6,943

-6.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,985 $7,985

$5,238 $5,238

52.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.85

0.15%

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

Last update for Aliso Viejo, CA: October 18, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aliso Viejo, CA

$2.5K 62.2%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 26.4% $651

Groceries & Markets

Aliso Viejo, CA

$456 11.5%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 21.2% $96

Eating Out

Aliso Viejo, CA

$398 10%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 2.3% $9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aliso Viejo, CA

$355 8.9%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Aliso Viejo, CA

$190 4.8%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 10.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Aliso Viejo, CA

$73 1.9%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 116% $85

Getting Around

Aliso Viejo, CA

$26 * 0.7%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 539% $142

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 $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA and $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aliso Viejo, CA pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Aliso Viejo, CA vs $120 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $552 per month, with Aliso Viejo, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

02:02 2:02 AM

3 h ahead of Aliso Viejo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,489

8,804,190

💱 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

Aliso Viejo, CA New York, NY 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Aliso Viejo, CA
New York, NY

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

Aliso Viejo, CA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aliso Viejo, CA and New York, NY differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($3,964 vs $4,938 including rent). Aliso Viejo, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Aliso Viejo, CA, 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: $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,964 per month in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $4,938 in New York, NY – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Aliso Viejo, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aliso Viejo, CA and New York, NY 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 Aliso Viejo, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.