Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, MA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Amherst, MA: $2,767 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
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Amherst, MA Living Index
239

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

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Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,767

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amherst, MA 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 Amherst, MA and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,767 in Amherst, MA versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Amherst, MA $2,767
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Amherst, MA versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Amherst, MA $4,275
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,783 in Amherst, MA versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Amherst, MA $5,783
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Amherst, MA costs roughly 44% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Amherst, MA 103% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$28.55 $28.55

-29.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 $70.8

$118 $118

-40.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 $8.90

$15.04 $15.04

-40.82%

Cappuccino

$4.79 $4.79

$6.53 $6.53

-26.65%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$3.96 $3.96

-32.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.01 $3.01

-31.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$8.16 $8.16

-26.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.41 $10.41

$9.84 $9.84

5.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.37 $1.37

-22.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.97 $4.97

-35.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.00 $7.00

$7.81 $7.81

-10.37%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$5.97 $5.97

-21.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.50 $16.50

$18.91 $18.91

-12.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$18.04 $18.04

-12.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 $18.29

$19.05 $19.05

-3.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$6.76 $6.76

-30.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.27 $2.27

-36.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$6.83 $6.83

-52.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$7.09 $7.09

-35.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$4.22 $4.22

-22.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$4.65 $4.65

-20.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.87 $2.87

-19.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.60 $2.60

-22.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.69 $10.69

$18.77 $18.77

-43.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$20.13 $20.13

-39.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.45 $3.45

-42.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.02 $4.02

-2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.91 $2.91

-55.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.34 $28.34

$139 $139

-79.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.08 $3.08

15.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.12 $2.12

-33.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.78 $29.78

$41.96 $41.96

-29.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.17 $1.17

-15.38%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.5K $34.5K

-20.15%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.98%

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

$213 $213

$219 $219

-2.95%

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

$56.5 $56.5

$74.2 $74.2

-23.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.9 $87.9

$70.2 $70.2

25.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$121 $121

$112 $112

8.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.90 $6.90

$74.9 $74.9

-90.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 $10.65

$22.14 $22.14

-51.90%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$3,558 $3,558

-58.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K $17.2K

$62.2K $62.2K

-72.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.22 $45.22

$75.6 $75.6

-40.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 $40.24

$51.2 $51.2

-21.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 $91.6

$123 $123

-25.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$140 $140

-21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 $1,821

$4,499 $4,499

-59.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$3,078 $3,078

-56.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,829 $3,829

$9,447 $9,447

-59.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 $2,708

$5,190 $5,190

-47.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,969 $3,969

$18.1K $18.1K

-78.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,035 $4,035

$6,693 $6,693

-39.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,660 $4,660

$5,220 $5,220

-10.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

6.86

-11.08%

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

Last update for Amherst, MA: October 26, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, MA

$1.3K 48.7%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 129% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, MA

$434 15.7%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 29.8% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, MA

$357 12.9%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 1.8% $6.5

Eating Out

Amherst, MA

$314 11.4%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 40% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, MA

$143 5.2%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 9.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, MA

$129 4.7%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 36% $46

Getting Around

Amherst, MA

$44 1.6%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 272% $120

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,821 in Amherst, MA and $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 12% 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: $71 in Amherst, MA vs $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $434 vs $563 per month, with Amherst, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

Same time as Amherst, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Amherst, MA New York, NY 240 km

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Amherst, MA
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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

Amherst, MA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amherst, MA is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Amherst, MA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,821 in Amherst, MA versus $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,466 in Amherst, MA versus $3,558 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Amherst, MA 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.

Expats usually find Amherst, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.