Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and New York, NY Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and New York, NY

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Arlington, VA is 16.2% cheaper than New York, NY without rent, and 19.6% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Arlington, VA is 18.2% cheaper than New York, NY without rent, and 26.4% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Arlington, VA
New York, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.54 $24.54
$29.68 $29.68
-17.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.5 $88.5
$144 $144
-38.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.84 $11.84
$12.43 $12.43
-4.75%
Cappuccino
$5.41 $5.41
$5.84 $5.84
-7.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 $2.93
$3.26 $3.26
-10.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.5 $2.5
$2.58 $2.58
-3.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.02 $8.02
$8.24 $8.24
-2.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.82 $8.82
$11.86 $11.86
-25.63%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Arlington, VA
New York, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.56 $1.56
-20.51%
White Bread (500g)
$4.1 $4.1
$5.23 $5.23
-21.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.81 $6.81
$8.11 $8.11
-16.03%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$7.25 $7.25
-40.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.79 $17.79
$17.08 $17.08
4.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.75 $14.75
$16.24 $16.24
-9.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.38 $21.38
$20.02 $20.02
6.79%
Apples (1kg)
$6.26 $6.26
$7.49 $7.49
-16.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.06 $2.06
$2.55 $2.55
-19.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.22 $5.22
$5.82 $5.82
-10.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.71 $5.71
$6.52 $6.52
-12.42%
Potato (1kg)
$3.44 $3.44
$3.72 $3.72
-7.53%
Onion (1kg)
$3.39 $3.39
$3.9 $3.9
-13.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 $2.65
$3.07 $3.07
-13.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$2.57 $2.57
-4.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.3 $12.3
$19.21 $19.21
-35.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.17 $17.17
$17.79 $17.79
-3.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 $2.03
$3.01 $3.01
-32.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.29 $4.29
$3.72 $3.72
15.32%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Arlington, VA
New York, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.43 $3.43
$2.92 $2.92
17.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$125 $125
$134 $134
-6.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 $3.02
$5.13 $5.13
-41.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.59 $1.59
$2.15 $2.15
-26.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.75 $21.75
$41.57 $41.57
-47.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$0.95 $0.95
-4.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K $29.6K
$35K $35K
-15.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26K $26K
$27.7K $27.7K
-6.02%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arlington, VA
New York, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 $205
$179 $179
14.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.8 $59.8
$60 $60
-0.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$63.8 $63.8
9.49%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Arlington, VA
New York, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$141 $141
-45.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.96 $23.96
$63.9 $63.9
-62.50%
Cinema Ticket
$14.84 $14.84
$19.9 $19.9
-25.43%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Arlington, VA
New York, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,074 $2,074
$3,206 $3,206
-35.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.4K $39.4K
$56.5K $56.5K
-30.24%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Arlington, VA
New York, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.9 $55.9
$65.7 $65.7
-14.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.48 $49.48
$48.75 $48.75
1.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 $92.6
$111 $111
-16.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 $141
$172 $172
-17.68%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Arlington, VA
New York, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,473 $2,473
$4,165 $4,165
-40.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,930 $1,930
$2,653 $2,653
-27.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,350 $4,350
$8,412 $8,412
-48.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,575 $3,575
$5,277 $5,277
-32.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,644 $4,644
$15.6K $15.6K
-70.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,073 $4,073
$11.2K $11.2K
-63.50%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Arlington, VA
New York, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,454 $6,454
$5,616 $5,616
14.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
6.44
1.71%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Arlington, VA: October 28, 2025

Last update for New York, NY: October 28, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.