Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Appleton, WI and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Appleton, WI: $2,114 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $34,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Appleton, WI
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Appleton, WI Living Index
239

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

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Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,114

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,114 per month in Appleton, WI vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Appleton, WI $2,114
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $3,257 per month in Appleton, WI vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Appleton, WI $3,257
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $4,400 per month in Appleton, WI vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Appleton, WI $4,400
New York, NY $9,581

Appleton, WI is about 57% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Appleton, WI and New York, NY sit above the global median – Appleton, WI by 57%, New York, NY by 267%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.17 $18.17

$24.65 $24.65

-26.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$122 $122

-46.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 $11.10

$13.91 $13.91

-20.20%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$6.59 $6.59

-18.51%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$3.84 $3.84

-32.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.87 $2.87

-19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 $4.61

$7.79 $7.79

-40.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$9.85 $9.85

-38.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.38 $1.38

-25.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.68 $4.68

-34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$7.54 $7.54

-31.96%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$5.93 $5.93

-23.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.18 $14.18

$18.83 $18.83

-24.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 $8.35

$17.36 $17.36

-51.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 $15.52

$18.51 $18.51

-16.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$6.74 $6.74

-28.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.09 $2.09

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$6.07 $6.07

-48.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$6.74 $6.74

-35.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$4.05 $4.05

-47.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$4.37 $4.37

-39.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.89 $2.89

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.60 $2.60

20.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 $10.94

$18.72 $18.72

-41.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$20.06 $20.06

-25.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.25 $3.25

-45.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.73 $3.73

-10.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.04 $3.04

5.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.15 $2.15

-35.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 $24.33

$41.82 $41.82

-41.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.12 $1.12

-12.50%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$35.5K $35.5K

-0.02%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

-2.33%

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

$174 $174

$219 $219

-20.46%

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

$44.20 $44.20

$73.2 $73.2

-39.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$72.0 $72.0

-14.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.46 $23.46

$123 $123

-80.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.62 $39.62

$67.7 $67.7

-41.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$22.85 $22.85

-36.32%

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

$1,508 $1,508

$3,333 $3,333

-54.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$60.0K $60.0K

-47.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.23 $39.23

$75.2 $75.2

-47.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.89 $24.89

$52.4 $52.4

-52.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.0 $50.0

$122 $122

-58.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$133 $133

-16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 $1,524

$4,389 $4,389

-65.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 $992

$3,130 $3,130

-68.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$8,918 $8,918

-79.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 $1,897

$5,354 $5,354

-64.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,257 $2,257

$19.4K $19.4K

-88.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,278 $2,278

$6,806 $6,806

-66.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,999 $3,999

$5,343 $5,343

-25.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.82

-6.60%

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

Last update for Appleton, WI: October 11, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Appleton, WI

$992 46.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 216% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Appleton, WI

$380 18%

New York, NY

$545 11% 43.3% $165

Eating Out

Appleton, WI

$298 14.1%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 35.5% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Appleton, WI

$280 13.3%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 30.1% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Appleton, WI

$101 4.8%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 70% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Appleton, WI

$53 2.5%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 220% $116

Getting Around

Appleton, WI

$10 * 0.5%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 1537% $156

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,524 in Appleton, WI versus $4,389 in New York, NY. 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 34% 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 $65.0 in Appleton, WI versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $545 – making Appleton, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

1 h ahead of Appleton, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,139

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Appleton, WI New York, NY 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Appleton, WI
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

Appleton, WI vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 134%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,170 per month in Appleton, WI and $7,424 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Appleton, WI and $122 in New York, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Appleton, WI, where all-in costs run around $2,114, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Appleton, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Appleton, WI. 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.