Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brooklyn, NY and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Brooklyn, NY: $4,230 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

204

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index
234

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

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Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,230

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,230 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $4,906 in New York, NY, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $4,230
New York, NY $4,906

A couple spends around $6,364 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $6,364
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $8,497 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $9,641 in New York, NY, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $8,497
New York, NY $9,641

Brooklyn, NY is about 14% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brooklyn, NY and New York, NY sit above the global median – Brooklyn, NY by 213%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$26.93 $26.93

-24.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 $107

$117 $117

-8.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$14.60 $14.60

-18.77%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$6.54 $6.54

-16.06%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.86 $3.86

-31.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.95 $2.95

-23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$8.08 $8.08

-3.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.90 $8.90

$9.85 $9.85

-9.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.31 $1.31

27.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.97 $4.97

-7.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$7.70 $7.70

-8.83%

Eggs

$6.59 $6.59

$6.09 $6.09

8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 $16.57

$19.55 $19.55

-15.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$17.59 $17.59

-3.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 $19.96

$20.26 $20.26

-1.48%

Apples (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.99 $6.99

13.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.21 $2.21

66.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$6.72 $6.72

-22.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$7.12 $7.12

-15.17%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.61 $4.61

-12.80%

Onion (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$4.78 $4.78

0.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.87 $2.87

-8.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.69 $2.69

-9.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.04 $15.04

$19.14 $19.14

-21.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.33 $21.33

$19.63 $19.63

8.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.32 $3.32

-17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.19 $4.19

-22.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.02 $3.02

-2.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$183 $183

$139 $139

31.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.04 $3.04

-2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.20 $2.20

-2.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.63 $42.63

$41.33 $41.33

3.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.13 $1.13

0.88%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$34.5K $34.5K

-9.35%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.20%

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

$219 $219

$232 $232

-5.66%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$71.0 $71.0

-14.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$67.7 $67.7

-9.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$115 $115

6.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.28 $35.28

$76.8 $76.8

-54.07%

Cinema Ticket

$20.06 $20.06

$22.41 $22.41

-10.49%

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

$3,022 $3,022

$3,606 $3,606

-16.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$52.2K $52.2K

$68.7K $68.7K

-24.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$79.3 $79.3

-11.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.8 $76.8

$51.4 $51.4

49.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$121 $121

0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$140 $140

-15.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,827 $3,827

$4,555 $4,555

-15.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$3,040 $3,040

-19.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,537 $7,537

$9,742 $9,742

-22.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,441 $4,441

$5,331 $5,331

-16.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K $12.4K

$18.2K $18.2K

-31.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,713 $7,713

$6,685 $6,685

15.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,614 $3,614

$5,096 $5,096

-29.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.89

-1.60%

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: 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

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 23.9% $586

Groceries & Markets

Brooklyn, NY

$549 13%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 3.4% $19

Eating Out

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 24.7% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 8.8% $30

Getting Around

Brooklyn, NY

$208 4.9%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 20.6% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Brooklyn, NY

$174 4.1%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 1.3% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.9%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 1.6% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY 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.

Salaries run about 41% higher in New York, NY. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Brooklyn, NY versus $117 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $549 vs $567 – making Brooklyn, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

Same time as Brooklyn, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,736,074

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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Between locations

Brooklyn, NY New York, NY 21 km

From you

Brooklyn, NY
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, $4,906 in New York, NY – Brooklyn, NY comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,346 per month in Brooklyn, NY 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 Brooklyn, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $3,827 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Brooklyn, NY and $117 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 $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY and $4,906 in New York, NY. That makes Brooklyn, NY about 14% cheaper.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Brooklyn, NY costs $4,230 versus $4,906 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Brooklyn, NY. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.