Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlington, WA: $2,779 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, WA
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Arlington, WA Living Index
239

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

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Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,779

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,779 in Arlington, WA versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Arlington, WA $2,779
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,295 in Arlington, WA versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Arlington, WA $4,295
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,810 in Arlington, WA versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Arlington, WA $5,810
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Arlington, WA costs roughly 44% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, WA 104% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.91 $24.91

$28.55 $28.55

-12.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$118 $118

-16.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 $13.96

$15.04 $15.04

-7.18%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$6.53 $6.53

-9.65%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$3.96 $3.96

-25.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.01 $3.01

1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 $6.92

$8.16 $8.16

-15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$9.84 $9.84

-29.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.37 $1.37

-24.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 $3.70

$4.97 $4.97

-25.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$7.81 $7.81

-46.73%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$5.97 $5.97

-33.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$18.91 $18.91

-26.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$18.04 $18.04

-28.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.69 $22.69

$19.05 $19.05

19.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$6.76 $6.76

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.27 $2.27

-18.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$6.83 $6.83

-38.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$7.09 $7.09

-33.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$4.22 $4.22

-52.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$4.65 $4.65

-48.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.87 $2.87

-6.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.60 $2.60

-8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.08 $12.08

$18.77 $18.77

-35.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$20.13 $20.13

-24.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.45 $3.45

-40.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$4.02 $4.02

8.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.08 $3.08

-14.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.12 $2.12

-22.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.89 $29.89

$41.96 $41.96

-28.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.17 $1.17

20.51%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.5K $34.5K

-19.93%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.39%

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

$294 $294

$219 $219

34.20%

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

$67.9 $67.9

$74.2 $74.2

-8.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.9 $86.9

$70.2 $70.2

23.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.47 $32.47

$112 $112

-71.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$17.68 $17.68

$22.14 $22.14

-20.14%

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

$2,749 $2,749

$3,558 $3,558

-22.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$62.2K $62.2K

-49.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 $50.3

$75.6 $75.6

-33.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 $55.7

$51.2 $51.2

8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$123 $123

-17.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$140 $140

-3.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 $1,519

$4,499 $4,499

-66.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 $1,281

$3,078 $3,078

-58.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,805 $2,805

$9,447 $9,447

-70.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$5,190 $5,190

-51.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,787 $5,787

$5,220 $5,220

10.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.86

-0.73%

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

Last update for Arlington, WA: 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

Arlington, WA

$1.3K 46.1%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 140% $1.8K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, WA

$449 16.2%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 19% $85

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, WA

$431 15.5%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 30.6% $132

Eating Out

Arlington, WA

$384 13.8%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 14.5% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, WA

$155 5.6%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 13.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, WA

$68 2.4%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 130% $88

Getting Around

Arlington, WA

$11 * 0.4%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 1407% $153

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 $1,519 in Arlington, WA and $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, WA pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98 in Arlington, WA vs $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $563 per month, with Arlington, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

12:39 12:39 PM

3 h ahead of Arlington, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Arlington, WA New York, NY 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, WA
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

Arlington, WA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,779 in Arlington, WA and $4,941 in New York, NY, so Arlington, WA is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Arlington, WA, 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: $1,519 in Arlington, WA versus $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,779 per month in Arlington, WA versus $4,941 in New York, NY – Arlington, WA is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.