Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookings, SD and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Brookings, SD: $2,639 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Brookings, SD
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Brookings, SD Living Index
234

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

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Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,639

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,639 per month in Brookings, SD vs $4,906 in New York, NY, rent included.

Brookings, SD $2,639
New York, NY $4,906

A couple spends around $3,597 per month in Brookings, SD vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Brookings, SD $3,597
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $4,556 per month in Brookings, SD vs $9,641 in New York, NY, rent included.

Brookings, SD $4,556
New York, NY $9,641

Brookings, SD is about 46% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brookings, SD and New York, NY sit above the global median – Brookings, SD by 95%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.36 $17.36

$26.93 $26.93

-35.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.21 $39.21

$117 $117

-66.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.52 $11.52

$14.60 $14.60

-21.10%

Cappuccino

$4.52 $4.52

$6.54 $6.54

-30.89%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$3.86 $3.86

-36.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.95 $2.95

-31.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$8.08 $8.08

-27.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$9.85 $9.85

-30.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.31 $1.31

-32.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$4.97 $4.97

-25.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$7.70 $7.70

-16.36%

Eggs

$3.52 $3.52

$6.09 $6.09

-42.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$19.55 $19.55

-46.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.66 $13.66

$17.59 $17.59

-22.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 $12.99

$20.26 $20.26

-35.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$6.99 $6.99

-18.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.21 $2.21

-18.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$6.72 $6.72

-1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$7.12 $7.12

-28.79%

Potato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.61 $4.61

-3.25%

Onion (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.78 $4.78

-10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.87 $2.87

-20.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.69 $2.69

-24.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.84 $12.84

$19.14 $19.14

-32.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 $12.05

$19.63 $19.63

-38.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.32 $3.32

-12.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.19 $4.19

38.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.04 $3.04

61.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.20 $2.20

-24.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.75 $23.75

$41.33 $41.33

-42.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.13 $1.13

-7.96%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$34.5K $34.5K

-14.20%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.18%

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

$184 $184

$232 $232

-20.64%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$71.0 $71.0

-19.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$67.7 $67.7

2.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 $12.03

$22.41 $22.41

-46.32%

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

$1,316 $1,316

$3,606 $3,606

-63.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K $36.7K

$68.7K $68.7K

-46.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.51 $42.51

$79.3 $79.3

-46.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.79 $34.79

$51.4 $51.4

-32.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 $88.7

$121 $121

-26.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$140 $140

-25.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 $1,715

$4,555 $4,555

-62.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$3,040 $3,040

-51.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,051 $2,051

$9,742 $9,742

-78.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$5,331 $5,331

-60.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,339 $2,339

$18.2K $18.2K

-87.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,374 $2,374

$6,685 $6,685

-64.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

6.89

-20.17%

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

Last update for Brookings, SD: November 1, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brookings, SD

$1.5K 55.3%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 108% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Brookings, SD

$421 16%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 34.8% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brookings, SD

$311 11.8%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 19.3% $60

Eating Out

Brookings, SD

$288 10.9%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 47.4% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Brookings, SD

$122 4.6%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 45% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Brookings, SD

$24 * 0.9%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 566% $136

Getting Around

Brookings, SD

$13 * 0.5%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 1150% $152

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,715 in Brookings, SD versus $4,555 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Brookings, SD versus $117 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $567 – making Brookings, SD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

13:44 1:44 PM

1 h ahead of Brookings, SD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,802

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Brookings, SD New York, NY 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brookings, SD
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

Brookings, SD vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 86% more than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,958 per month in Brookings, SD and $7,358 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 Brookings, SD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,715 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Brookings, SD and $117 in New York, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,639 in Brookings, SD and $4,906 in New York, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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