Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cincinnati, OH and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Cincinnati, OH: $2,284 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Cincinnati, OH
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Cincinnati, OH Living Index
239

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

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Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,284

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,284 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $2,284
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $3,409 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $3,409
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $4,534 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $4,534
New York, NY $9,509

Cincinnati, OH is about 54% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cincinnati, OH and New York, NY sit above the global median – Cincinnati, OH by 68%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 $15.04

$28.55 $28.55

-47.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 $50.3

$118 $118

-57.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$15.04 $15.04

-33.31%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$6.53 $6.53

-22.36%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$3.96 $3.96

-41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$3.01 $3.01

-44.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 $5.59

$8.16 $8.16

-31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 $7.60

$9.84 $9.84

-22.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.37 $1.37

-35.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$4.97 $4.97

-34.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$7.81 $7.81

-46.99%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$5.97 $5.97

-31.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 $13.06

$18.91 $18.91

-30.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$18.04 $18.04

-38.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.30 $16.30

$19.05 $19.05

-14.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$6.76 $6.76

-15.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.27 $2.27

-27.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$6.83 $6.83

-36.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$7.09 $7.09

-32.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$4.22 $4.22

-39.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$4.65 $4.65

-32.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.87 $2.87

-29.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.60 $2.60

-26.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.75 $9.75

$18.77 $18.77

-48.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$20.13 $20.13

-25.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.45 $3.45

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.02 $4.02

-26.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.91 $2.91

-6.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 $107

$139 $139

-23.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.08 $3.08

24.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$2.12 $2.12

-41.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.56 $24.56

$41.96 $41.96

-41.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.17 $1.17

-11.11%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$34.5K $34.5K

4.02%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.65%

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

$151 $151

$219 $219

-30.97%

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

$76.8 $76.8

$74.2 $74.2

3.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$70.2 $70.2

1.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 $34.11

$112 $112

-69.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.79 $13.79

$74.9 $74.9

-81.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 $15.29

$22.14 $22.14

-30.94%

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

$1,341 $1,341

$3,558 $3,558

-62.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$62.2K $62.2K

-69.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.25 $45.25

$75.6 $75.6

-40.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.81 $44.81

$51.2 $51.2

-12.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 $83.2

$123 $123

-32.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$140 $140

-21.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$4,499 $4,499

-66.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$3,078 $3,078

-67.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,024 $3,024

$9,447 $9,447

-67.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$5,190 $5,190

-65.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,610 $3,610

$18.1K $18.1K

-80.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,016 $2,016

$6,693 $6,693

-69.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,191 $4,191

$5,220 $5,220

-19.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.86

-3.94%

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

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: 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

Cincinnati, OH

$1K 44%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 206% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Cincinnati, OH

$389 17%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 44.9% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cincinnati, OH

$300 13.1%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 21.3% $64

Eating Out

Cincinnati, OH

$270 11.8%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 62.9% $170

Getting Around

Cincinnati, OH

$128 5.6%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 28.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Cincinnati, OH

$127 5.6%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 37.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Cincinnati, OH

$65 2.8%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 142% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,505 in Cincinnati, OH 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 25% 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 $50 in Cincinnati, OH versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $563 – making Cincinnati, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

12:08 12:08 PM

Same time as Cincinnati, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,800

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cincinnati, OH New York, NY 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cincinnati, OH
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,284 in Cincinnati, OH, $4,941 in New York, NY – roughly 116% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,426 per month in Cincinnati, OH 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 Cincinnati, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,505 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,284 in Cincinnati, OH and $4,941 in New York, NY. That’s a gap of about 116%.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Cincinnati, OH. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Cincinnati, OH, where all-in costs run around $2,284, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Cincinnati, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cincinnati, OH – 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 Cincinnati, OH. 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.