Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Fairfield, CA: $3,978 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index
234

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

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Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,978 in Fairfield, CA versus $4,906 in New York, NY.

Fairfield, CA $3,978
New York, NY $4,906

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,242 in Fairfield, CA versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Fairfield, CA $5,242
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,507 in Fairfield, CA versus $9,641 in New York, NY.

Fairfield, CA $6,507
New York, NY $9,641

Living in Fairfield, CA costs roughly 19% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairfield, CA 194% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$26.93 $26.93

-19.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$117 $117

-24.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$14.60 $14.60

-17.74%

Cappuccino

$6.94 $6.94

$6.54 $6.54

6.12%

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

$3.49 $3.49

$3.86 $3.86

-9.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.95 $2.95

-31.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$8.08 $8.08

-1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$9.85 $9.85

-27.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.31 $1.31

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$4.97 $4.97

-11.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$7.70 $7.70

-39.22%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$6.09 $6.09

-9.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$19.55 $19.55

-27.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$17.59 $17.59

-13.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 $17.77

$20.26 $20.26

-12.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$6.99 $6.99

-12.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.21 $2.21

17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$6.72 $6.72

-5.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$7.12 $7.12

-7.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$4.61 $4.61

-15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$4.78 $4.78

-25.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.87 $2.87

-18.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.69 $2.69

-23.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$19.14 $19.14

-37.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 $10.18

$19.63 $19.63

-48.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.32 $3.32

-36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$4.19 $4.19

-49.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.02 $3.02

-35.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 $87.1

$139 $139

-37.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.04 $3.04

-2.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.20 $2.20

-11.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.14 $29.14

$41.33 $41.33

-29.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.13 $1.13

26.55%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.5K $34.5K

-18.21%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.05%

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

$193 $193

$232 $232

-17.07%

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

$48.25 $48.25

$71.0 $71.0

-32.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$67.7 $67.7

7.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$115 $115

8.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.7 $73.7

$76.8 $76.8

-4.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$22.41 $22.41

-34.81%

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

$1,293 $1,293

$3,606 $3,606

-64.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$68.7K $68.7K

-67.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$79.3 $79.3

-35.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.08 $37.08

$51.4 $51.4

-27.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$121 $121

-11.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$140 $140

-20.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,396 $2,396

$4,555 $4,555

-47.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$3,040 $3,040

-20.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$9,742 $9,742

-68.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 $2,967

$5,331 $5,331

-44.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,719 $3,719

$18.2K $18.2K

-79.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,665 $3,665

$6,685 $6,685

-45.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,749 $4,749

$5,096 $5,096

-6.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.89

-5.95%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: 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

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 25% $608

Groceries & Markets

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 22.5% $104

Eating Out

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 15.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 18.2% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 3.7% $5.7

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 27.7% $38

Getting Around

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 53.7% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,396 in Fairfield, CA and $4,555 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 7% 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: $89 in Fairfield, CA vs $117 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $463 vs $567 per month, with Fairfield, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

14:17 2:17 PM

17:17 5:17 PM

3 h ahead of Fairfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,133

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Fairfield, CA New York, NY 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Fairfield, 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

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

Fairfield, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fairfield, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Fairfield, CA. 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: $2,396 in Fairfield, CA versus $4,555 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,978 per month in Fairfield, CA versus $4,906 in New York, NY – Fairfield, CA is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Fairfield, CA runs roughly 38% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fairfield, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Fairfield, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.