Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bellevue, WA: $3,763 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

181

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, WA
Learn more

Bellevue, WA Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,763

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,763 in Bellevue, WA versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Bellevue, WA $3,763
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Bellevue, WA versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Bellevue, WA $5,702
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,641 in Bellevue, WA versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Bellevue, WA $7,641
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Bellevue, WA costs roughly 24% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bellevue, WA 177% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.38 $25.38

$28.55 $28.55

-11.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$118 $118

-15.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 $13.03

$15.04 $15.04

-13.36%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$6.53 $6.53

-11.18%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$3.96 $3.96

-20.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.01 $3.01

-16.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$8.16 $8.16

-3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$9.84 $9.84

-19.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.37 $1.37

-19.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.97 $4.97

-6.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$7.81 $7.81

-22.54%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$5.97 $5.97

-7.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$18.91 $18.91

-15.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$18.04 $18.04

-9.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.78 $22.78

$19.05 $19.05

19.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$6.76 $6.76

-17.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.27 $2.27

-17.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$6.83 $6.83

-18.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$7.09 $7.09

-36.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$4.22 $4.22

-34.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$4.65 $4.65

-28.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.87 $2.87

-30.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.60 $2.60

-4.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.41 $12.41

$18.77 $18.77

-33.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 $18.19

$20.13 $20.13

-9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.45 $3.45

-38.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.02 $4.02

18.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.91 $2.91

4.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$139 $139

-20.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.08 $3.08

-14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.12 $2.12

-19.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.09 $30.09

$41.96 $41.96

-28.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.17 $1.17

20.51%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$34.5K $34.5K

-17.06%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.89%

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

$227 $227

$219 $219

3.68%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$74.2 $74.2

-27.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$70.2 $70.2

-7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$186 $186

$112 $112

66.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.31 $39.31

$74.9 $74.9

-47.49%

Cinema Ticket

$18.28 $18.28

$22.14 $22.14

-17.43%

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

$1,980 $1,980

$3,558 $3,558

-44.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$62.2K $62.2K

-48.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 $62.1

$75.6 $75.6

-17.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.06 $44.06

$51.2 $51.2

-13.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 $99.2

$123 $123

-19.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$140 $140

-10.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,940 $2,940

$4,499 $4,499

-34.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$3,078 $3,078

-34.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,554 $6,554

$9,447 $9,447

-30.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,722 $3,722

$5,190 $5,190

-28.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,947 $7,947

$18.1K $18.1K

-56.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,385 $5,385

$6,693 $6,693

-19.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,751 $8,751

$5,220 $5,220

67.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.86

-3.21%

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

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 24, 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

Bellevue, WA

$2K 53.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 51.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Bellevue, WA

$494 13.1%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 13.9% $69

Eating Out

Bellevue, WA

$390 10.4%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 12.9% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.2%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Bellevue, WA

$222 5.9%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 29.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Bellevue, WA

$149 4%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 17.9% $27

Getting Around

Bellevue, WA

$133 3.6%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 23.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,940 in Bellevue, WA and $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Bellevue, WA vs $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $494 vs $563 per month, with Bellevue, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

14:06 2:06 PM

3 h ahead of Bellevue, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,854

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bellevue, WA New York, NY 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bellevue, 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

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

Bellevue, WA is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 68% higher in Bellevue, 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: $2,940 in Bellevue, WA versus $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bellevue, WA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $118 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,763 per month in Bellevue, WA versus $4,941 in New York, NY – Bellevue, WA is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Bellevue, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Bellevue, WA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bellevue, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.