Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethesda, MD and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Bethesda, MD: $3,141 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Bethesda, MD
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Bethesda, MD Living Index
239

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

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Bethesda, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,141

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,141 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $3,141
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $4,927 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $4,927
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $6,712 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $6,712
New York, NY $9,608

Bethesda, MD is about 36% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bethesda, MD and New York, NY sit above the global median – Bethesda, MD by 132%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.20 $22.20

$24.99 $24.99

-11.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$120 $120

-16.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$13.74 $13.74

-20.52%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$6.60 $6.60

-14.85%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$3.82 $3.82

-20.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.87 $2.87

-16.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 $6.86

$7.95 $7.95

-13.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$10.06 $10.06

-8.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.37 $1.37

-16.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.75 $4.75

-8.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$7.69 $7.69

-51.24%

Eggs

$4.50 $4.50

$5.87 $5.87

-23.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.64 $16.64

$19.25 $19.25

-13.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$17.83 $17.83

-10.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.03 $19.03

20.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$6.69 $6.69

-16.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.29 $2.29

-40.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$6.41 $6.41

-36.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$6.75 $6.75

-36.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.93 $3.93

-44.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.52 $4.52

-41.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.79 $2.79

-17.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.51 $2.51

2.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 $9.66

$18.10 $18.10

-46.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.84 $17.84

$20.16 $20.16

-11.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.26 $3.26

-46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.75 $3.75

-22.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.92 $2.92

4.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 $99.1

$143 $143

-30.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.06 $3.06

28.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.16 $2.16

-43.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.91 $24.91

$41.33 $41.33

-39.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.12 $1.12

-17.86%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$33.1K $33.1K

-29.90%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$25.7K $25.7K

-7.10%

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

$167 $167

$219 $219

-24.08%

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

$38.68 $38.68

$75.3 $75.3

-48.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 $62.6

$70.5 $70.5

-11.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 $105

$116 $116

-9.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.93 $29.93

$67.6 $67.6

-55.74%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 $16.04

$21.37 $21.37

-24.94%

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

$1,611 $1,611

$3,432 $3,432

-53.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$61.7K $61.7K

-40.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 $56.3

$74.9 $74.9

-24.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 $57.8

$52.1 $52.1

10.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$117 $117

-13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$135 $135

9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,276 $2,276

$4,347 $4,347

-47.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 $1,638

$3,117 $3,117

-47.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,975 $3,975

$9,110 $9,110

-56.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,209 $3,209

$5,379 $5,379

-40.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,921 $5,921

$19.3K $19.3K

-69.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,355 $5,355

$6,943 $6,943

-22.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,587 $8,587

$5,238 $5,238

63.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.85

-0.88%

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

Last update for Bethesda, MD: October 18, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bethesda, MD

$1.6K 52.1%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 90.3% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Bethesda, MD

$462 14.7%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 19.5% $90

Eating Out

Bethesda, MD

$352 11.2%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 15.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethesda, MD

$268 8.5%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 36.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Bethesda, MD

$163 5.2%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 4.4% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Bethesda, MD

$137 4.4%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 15.7% $21

Getting Around

Bethesda, MD

$121 3.9%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 38.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,276 in Bethesda, MD versus $4,347 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 64% higher in Bethesda, MD, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Bethesda, MD versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $462 vs $552 – making Bethesda, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethesda, MD

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

Same time as Bethesda, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,858

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

Bethesda, MD New York, NY 310 km

From you

Bethesda, MD
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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

Bethesda, MD vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,711 per month in Bethesda, MD and $7,407 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 Bethesda, MD, 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 $101 in Bethesda, MD and $120 in New York, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,141 in Bethesda, MD and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 57%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,141 in Bethesda, MD and $4,938 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Bethesda, MD. 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.