Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Downey, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Downey, CA: $3,035 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Downey, CA
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Downey, CA Living Index
239

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

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Downey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,035

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,035 in Downey, CA versus $4,950 in New York, NY.

Downey, CA $3,035
New York, NY $4,950

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,713 in Downey, CA versus $7,265 in New York, NY.

Downey, CA $4,713
New York, NY $7,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,391 in Downey, CA versus $9,581 in New York, NY.

Downey, CA $6,391
New York, NY $9,581

Living in Downey, CA costs roughly 39% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Downey, CA 125% above, New York, NY 267% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.83 $24.83

$24.65 $24.65

0.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 $80.2

$122 $122

-33.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$13.91 $13.91

9.35%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.59 $6.59

-14.11%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$3.84 $3.84

-17.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.87 $2.87

-18.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 $7.38

$7.79 $7.79

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.36 $9.36

$9.85 $9.85

-4.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.38 $1.38

-18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.68 $4.68

-12.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$7.54 $7.54

-37.67%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$5.93 $5.93

-21.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$18.83 $18.83

-31.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$17.36 $17.36

-22.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$18.51 $18.51

-17.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$6.74 $6.74

-30.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.09 $2.09

-21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$6.07 $6.07

-31.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$6.74 $6.74

-18.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$4.05 $4.05

-8.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.37 $4.37

-29.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.89 $2.89

-29.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.60 $2.60

-14.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$18.72 $18.72

-37.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$20.06 $20.06

-25.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.25 $3.25

-38.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.73 $3.73

12.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 $6.34

$3.04 $3.04

108.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.12 $1.12

31.25%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

6.35%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.23%

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

$170 $170

$219 $219

-22.25%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$73.2 $73.2

-8.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 $72.3

$72.0 $72.0

0.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.92 $34.92

$123 $123

-71.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$22.85 $22.85

-33.87%

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

$1,188 $1,188

$3,333 $3,333

-64.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 $58.6

$75.2 $75.2

-22.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.89 $45.89

$52.4 $52.4

-12.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$122 $122

-24.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$133 $133

8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,946 $1,946

$4,389 $4,389

-55.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$3,130 $3,130

-45.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,725 $3,725

$8,918 $8,918

-58.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,383 $3,383

$5,354 $5,354

-36.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,755 $5,755

$19.4K $19.4K

-70.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,766 $5,766

$6,806 $6,806

-15.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,178 $4,178

$5,343 $5,343

-21.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.82

-6.30%

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

Last update for Downey, CA: October 13, 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

Downey, CA

$1.7K 55.8%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 84.9% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Downey, CA

$419 13.8%

New York, NY

$545 11% 30.1% $126

Eating Out

Downey, CA

$390 12.8%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 3.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Downey, CA

$309 10.2%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 17.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Downey, CA

$153 5.1%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 12.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Downey, CA

$65 2.2%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 159% $103

Getting Around

Downey, CA

$6.3 * 0.2%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 2526% $160

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,946 in Downey, CA and $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Downey, CA vs $122 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $545 per month, with Downey, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Downey, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

10:27 10:27 AM

13:27 1:27 PM

3 h ahead of Downey, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,355

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Downey, CA New York, NY 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Downey, CA
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

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

Downey, CA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in New York, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,946 in Downey, CA versus $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,035 per month in Downey, CA versus $4,950 in New York, NY – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Downey, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Downey, CA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Downey, CA and New York, NY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Downey, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.