Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brownsville, TX and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Brownsville, TX: $1,752 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $38,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Brownsville, TX
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Brownsville, TX Living Index
239

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

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Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,752

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,752 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $1,752
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $2,612 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $2,612
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $3,472 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $3,472
New York, NY $9,509

Brownsville, TX is about 65% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brownsville, TX and New York, NY sit above the global median – Brownsville, TX by 29%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 $10.13

$28.55 $28.55

-64.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 $59.9

$118 $118

-49.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 $7.95

$15.04 $15.04

-47.14%

Cappuccino

$4.03 $4.03

$6.53 $6.53

-38.28%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$3.96 $3.96

-48.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.01 $3.01

-33.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$8.16 $8.16

-38.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$9.84 $9.84

-48.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.37 $1.37

-37.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.97 $4.97

-54.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$7.81 $7.81

-71.57%

Eggs

$2.83 $2.83

$5.97 $5.97

-52.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$18.91 $18.91

-50.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.84 $12.84

$18.04 $18.04

-28.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 $9.11

$19.05 $19.05

-52.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$6.76 $6.76

-61.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.27 $2.27

0.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$6.83 $6.83

-75.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$7.09 $7.09

-72.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$4.22 $4.22

-31.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$4.65 $4.65

-76.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.87 $2.87

-64.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.60 $2.60

-60.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$18.77 $18.77

-49.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$20.13 $20.13

-63.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.45 $3.45

-40.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.02 $4.02

-44.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.08 $3.08

34.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 $0.77

$2.12 $2.12

-63.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.17 $1.17

-26.50%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$34.5K $34.5K

-16.14%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

-5.90%

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

$162 $162

$219 $219

-26.34%

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

$37.04 $37.04

$74.2 $74.2

-50.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 $67.4

$70.2 $70.2

-4.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.89 $49.89

$112 $112

-55.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 $11.78

$22.14 $22.14

-46.79%

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

$595 $595

$3,558 $3,558

-83.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 $78.7

$75.6 $75.6

4.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.47 $44.47

$51.2 $51.2

-13.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 $75.8

$123 $123

-38.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 $96.5

$140 $140

-30.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 $944

$4,499 $4,499

-79.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$796 $796

$3,078 $3,078

-74.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 $1,656

$9,447 $9,447

-82.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 $1,384

$5,190 $5,190

-73.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,860 $1,860

$18.1K $18.1K

-89.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,856 $1,856

$6,693 $6,693

-72.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,159 $3,159

$5,220 $5,220

-39.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.86

-5.54%

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

Last update for Brownsville, TX: October 26, 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

Brownsville, TX

$796 45.5%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 287% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

Brownsville, TX

$271 15.4%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 108% $292

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brownsville, TX

$266 15.2%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 36.8% $98

Eating Out

Brownsville, TX

$205 11.7%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 115% $235

Clothing & Footwear

Brownsville, TX

$133 7.6%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 31.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Brownsville, TX

$73 4.2%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 113% $83

Getting Around

Brownsville, TX

$8 * 0.5%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 1956% $156

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $944 in Brownsville, TX versus $4,499 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 65% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Brownsville, TX versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $563 – making Brownsville, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

10:01 10:01 AM

11:01 11:01 AM

1 h ahead of Brownsville, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

186,738

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brownsville, TX New York, NY 2,700 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Brownsville, TX
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,752 in Brownsville, TX, $4,941 in New York, NY – Brownsville, TX comes out roughly 65% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,628 per month in Brownsville, TX and $7,412 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 Brownsville, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $944 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,752 in Brownsville, TX and $4,941 in New York, NY. That makes Brownsville, TX about 65% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $595 per month in Brownsville, TX and $3,558 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Brownsville, TX, where all-in costs run around $1,752, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Brownsville, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brownsville, TX – 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 Brownsville, TX. 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.