Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alpharetta, GA and Long Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Alpharetta, GA: $3,008 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Long Island, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

144

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index
201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
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Long Island, NY Living Index

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Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,008

/mo nomad

Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alpharetta, GA and in Long Island, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,008 in Alpharetta, GA versus $4,225 in Long Island, NY.

Alpharetta, GA $3,008
Long Island, NY $4,225

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,289 in Alpharetta, GA versus $5,930 in Long Island, NY.

Alpharetta, GA $4,289
Long Island, NY $5,930

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,570 in Alpharetta, GA versus $7,634 in Long Island, NY.

Alpharetta, GA $5,570
Long Island, NY $7,634

Living in Alpharetta, GA costs roughly 29% less than in Long Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alpharetta, GA 121% above, Long Island, NY 210% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.37 $26.37

$25.14 $25.14

4.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$98.5 $98.5

-20.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 $9.99

$10.99 $10.99

-9.10%

Cappuccino

$4.70 $4.70

$5.08 $5.08

-7.48%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$2.14 $2.14

20.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.58 $1.58

29.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 $5.78

$8.02 $8.02

-27.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 $7.41

$7.91 $7.91

-6.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.32 $1.32

-31.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.23 $4.23

$4.26 $4.26

-0.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$1.94 $1.94

195.88%

Eggs

$4.44 $4.44

$5.26 $5.26

-15.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 $11.44

$7.21 $7.21

58.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 $8.84

$11.89 $11.89

-25.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.89 $19.89

$16.22 $16.22

22.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.27 $4.27

5.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.20 $1.20

85.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.07 $2.07

97.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$6.16 $6.16

-25.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.07 $1.07

246.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.18 $2.18

72.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.48 $1.48

59.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.85 $2.85

-3.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.14 $9.14

$11.85 $11.85

-22.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$17.58 $17.58

-15.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.76 $1.76

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.09 $4.09

-1.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.97 $2.97

-14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.6 $96.6

$130 $130

-25.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.99 $2.99

3.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.00 $2.00

21.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.80 $39.80

$24.41 $24.41

63.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.11 $1.11

-19.82%

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

$33.0K $33.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

20.19%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$26.3K $26.3K

3.98%

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

$255 $255

$192 $192

32.88%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$48.26 $48.26

11.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.2 $87.2

$53.7 $53.7

62.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 $50.3

$31.30 $31.30

60.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.10 $22.10

$102 $102

-78.31%

Cinema Ticket

$17.20 $17.20

$14.69 $14.69

17.09%

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

$1,308 $1,308

$2,444 $2,444

-46.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K $15.6K

$23.5K $23.5K

-33.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.9 $77.9

$40.07 $40.07

94.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 $44.07

$56.7 $56.7

-22.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$76.3 $76.3

68.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$155 $155

-10.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 $1,981

$3,189 $3,189

-37.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 $1,458

$2,820 $2,820

-48.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,740 $2,740

$5,670 $5,670

-51.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 $2,212

$4,315 $4,315

-48.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,068 $4,068

$5,973 $5,973

-31.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,526 $2,526

$4,241 $4,241

-40.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,367 $6,367

$4,981 $4,981

27.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

6.63

3.17%

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

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Long Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 48.5%

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8% 93.4% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Alpharetta, GA

$413 13.7%

Long Island, NY

$382 9% 7.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alpharetta, GA

$396 13.2%

Long Island, NY

$294 7% 25.8% $102

Eating Out

Alpharetta, GA

$360 12%

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7% 1.7% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8%

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5% 15.6% $27

Getting Around

Alpharetta, GA

$122 4.1%

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7% 26.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Alpharetta, GA

$85 2.8%

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4% 28.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,981 in Alpharetta, GA and $3,189 in Long Island, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA 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: $78 in Alpharetta, GA vs $99 in Long Island, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $413 vs $382, with Long Island, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🕒 Local time

03:34 3:34 AM

Same time as Alpharetta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,799

7,804,968

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Alpharetta, GA Long Island, NY 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Alpharetta, GA
Long Island, 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

Alpharetta, GA vs Long Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alpharetta, GA is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Alpharetta, GA, 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: $1,981 in Alpharetta, GA versus $3,189 in Long Island, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alpharetta, GA runs roughly 25% less than in Long Island, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,308 in Alpharetta, GA versus $2,444 in Long Island, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Alpharetta, GA 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.