Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brea, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Brea, CA: $3,716 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Brea, CA
Learn more

Brea, CA Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Brea, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,716

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,716 in Brea, CA versus $4,938 in New York, NY.

Brea, CA $3,716
New York, NY $4,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,124 in Brea, CA versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Brea, CA $5,124
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,532 in Brea, CA versus $9,608 in New York, NY.

Brea, CA $6,532
New York, NY $9,608

Living in Brea, CA costs roughly 25% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brea, CA 174% above, New York, NY 264% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 $25.18

$24.99 $24.99

0.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$120 $120

-34.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.74 $13.74

-11.35%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$6.60 $6.60

-15.30%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$3.82 $3.82

-29.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.87 $2.87

-31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$7.95 $7.95

-7.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.46 $9.46

$10.06 $10.06

-5.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.37 $1.37

-13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.75 $4.75

11.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$7.69 $7.69

-42.65%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$5.87 $5.87

-17.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.38 $15.38

$19.25 $19.25

-20.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$17.83 $17.83

-50.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 $13.91

$19.03 $19.03

-26.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$6.69 $6.69

-30.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.29 $2.29

-21.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$6.41 $6.41

-32.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$6.75 $6.75

-14.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.93 $3.93

-8.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$4.52 $4.52

-32.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.79 $2.79

-23.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.51 $2.51

-13.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$18.10 $18.10

-33.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$20.16 $20.16

-24.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.26 $3.26

-45.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.75 $3.75

-14.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.06 $3.06

49.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.16 $2.16

-16.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.28 $36.28

$41.33 $41.33

-12.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.12 $1.12

40.18%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$33.1K $33.1K

-16.13%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.7K $25.7K

1.17%

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

$218 $218

$219 $219

-0.68%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$75.3 $75.3

-6.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$70.5 $70.5

-1.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.08 $30.08

$116 $116

-73.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.02 $20.02

$67.6 $67.6

-70.39%

Cinema Ticket

$19.98 $19.98

$21.37 $21.37

-6.50%

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

$1,162 $1,162

$3,432 $3,432

-66.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K $42.8K

$61.7K $61.7K

-30.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 $62.2

$74.9 $74.9

-16.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.12 $41.12

$52.1 $52.1

-21.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 $80.9

$117 $117

-30.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$135 $135

-22.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 $2,241

$4,347 $4,347

-48.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 $2,354

$3,117 $3,117

-24.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,133 $3,133

$9,110 $9,110

-65.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,521 $3,521

$5,379 $5,379

-34.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,884 $5,884

$19.3K $19.3K

-69.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,172 $6,172

$6,943 $6,943

-11.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,939 $9,939

$5,238 $5,238

89.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.85

-7.88%

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

Last update for Brea, CA: October 17, 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

Brea, CA

$2.4K 63.4%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 32.4% $763

Groceries & Markets

Brea, CA

$411 11.1%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 34.2% $141

Eating Out

Brea, CA

$379 10.2%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 7.3% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brea, CA

$358 9.6%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 2.1% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Brea, CA

$130 3.5%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 31.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Brea, CA

$70 1.9%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 126% $88

Getting Around

Brea, CA

$14 * 0.4%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 1135% $155

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 $2,241 in Brea, CA and $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Brea, CA vs $120 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $552 per month, with Brea, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brea, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

15:57 3:57 PM

3 h ahead of Brea, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,585

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brea, CA New York, NY 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Brea, CA
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

Brea, CA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brea, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brea, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 90% higher in Brea, CA, 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: $2,241 in Brea, CA versus $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,162 in Brea, CA versus $3,432 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brea, CA – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $120 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Brea, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brea, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brea, CA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brea, CA and New York, NY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brea, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.