Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbus, OH: $2,503 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, OH
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Columbus, 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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Columbus, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,503

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,503 per month in Columbus, OH vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Columbus, OH $2,503
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $3,732 per month in Columbus, OH vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Columbus, OH $3,732
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $4,962 per month in Columbus, OH vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Columbus, OH $4,962
New York, NY $9,581

Columbus, OH is about 49% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Columbus, OH and New York, NY sit above the global median – Columbus, OH by 85%, New York, NY by 267%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.60 $21.60

$24.65 $24.65

-12.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 $78.0

$122 $122

-35.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 $12.02

$13.91 $13.91

-13.59%

Cappuccino

$5.28 $5.28

$6.59 $6.59

-19.88%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$3.84 $3.84

-32.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.87 $2.87

-27.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$7.79 $7.79

-20.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$9.85 $9.85

-28.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.38 $1.38

-34.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.68 $4.68

-30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$7.54 $7.54

-29.97%

Eggs

$3.75 $3.75

$5.93 $5.93

-36.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 $13.88

$18.83 $18.83

-26.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.88 $14.88

$17.36 $17.36

-14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$18.51 $18.51

-14.75%

Apples (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$6.74 $6.74

-5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.09 $2.09

-20.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.07 $6.07

-0.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$6.74 $6.74

-31.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$4.05 $4.05

-27.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.37 $4.37

-21.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.89 $2.89

-21.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.60 $2.60

-12.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$18.72 $18.72

-46.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 $16.23

$20.06 $20.06

-19.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.25 $3.25

-33.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.73 $3.73

-19.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.06 $3.06

-32.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 $61.6

$140 $140

-56.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.04 $3.04

-1.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.15 $2.15

-41.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.64 $26.64

$41.82 $41.82

-36.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.12 $1.12

-8.04%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

0.13%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

-3.69%

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

$220 $220

$219 $219

0.23%

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

$66.3 $66.3

$73.2 $73.2

-9.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$72.0 $72.0

-5.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.99 $34.99

$123 $123

-71.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.37 $41.37

$67.7 $67.7

-38.87%

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 $13.17

$22.85 $22.85

-42.36%

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

$1,600 $1,600

$3,333 $3,333

-52.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K $34.8K

$60.0K $60.0K

-41.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.12 $49.12

$75.2 $75.2

-34.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.04 $41.04

$52.4 $52.4

-21.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 $80.0

$122 $122

-34.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$133 $133

-19.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 $1,563

$4,389 $4,389

-64.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 $1,116

$3,130 $3,130

-64.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 $2,310

$8,918 $8,918

-74.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 $1,879

$5,354 $5,354

-64.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,474 $3,474

$19.4K $19.4K

-82.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 $1,740

$6,806 $6,806

-74.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 $3,733

$5,343 $5,343

-30.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.82

-2.64%

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

Last update for Columbus, OH: October 11, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbus, OH

$1.1K 44.6%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 180% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Columbus, OH

$432 17.2%

New York, NY

$545 11% 26.3% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbus, OH

$354 14.1%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Columbus, OH

$336 13.4%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 20.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Columbus, OH

$125 5%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 37.9% $47

Getting Around

Columbus, OH

$79 3.2%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 111% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Columbus, OH

$61 2.5%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 175% $107

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,563 in Columbus, OH versus $4,389 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 43% 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 $78.0 in Columbus, OH versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $432 vs $545 – making Columbus, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbus, OH

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

19:31 7:31 PM

Same time as Columbus, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

905,748

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Columbus, OH New York, NY 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Columbus, 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

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

New York, NY costs about 98% more than Columbus, OH, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,754 per month in Columbus, OH and $7,424 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 Columbus, OH, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,503 in Columbus, OH and $4,950 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 98%.

Public transport costs about 128% less in Columbus, OH. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,503 in Columbus, OH and $4,950 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Columbus, OH costs $2,503 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Columbus, 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.