Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Federal Way, WA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Federal Way, WA: $3,324 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
Learn more

Federal Way, WA Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,324

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $3,324
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $4,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $4,324
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $5,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $5,324
New York, NY $9,581

Federal Way, WA is about 33% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Federal Way, WA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Federal Way, WA by 146%, New York, NY by 267%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$24.65 $24.65

0.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$122 $122

-37.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 $12.56

$13.91 $13.91

-9.71%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$6.59 $6.59

-11.68%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$3.84 $3.84

-23.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.87 $2.87

-41.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$7.79 $7.79

-9.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$9.85 $9.85

-27.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.38 $1.38

-21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.68 $4.68

-13.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$7.54 $7.54

-59.55%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$5.93 $5.93

-14.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$18.83 $18.83

-13.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$17.36 $17.36

-39.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$18.51 $18.51

4.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$6.74 $6.74

-23.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.09 $2.09

-24.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$6.07 $6.07

-29.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$6.74 $6.74

-31.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$4.05 $4.05

-33.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$4.37 $4.37

-45.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.89 $2.89

-22.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.60 $2.60

0.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.08 $13.08

$18.72 $18.72

-30.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$20.06 $20.06

-24.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$3.25 $3.25

-47.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.73 $3.73

29.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.06 $3.06

-13.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.04 $3.04

-13.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.15 $2.15

-22.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 $29.83

$41.82 $41.82

-28.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.12 $1.12

17.86%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$35.5K $35.5K

2.71%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.32%

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

$157 $157

$219 $219

-28.13%

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

$76.9 $76.9

$73.2 $73.2

5.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 $88.0

$72.0 $72.0

22.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.95 $12.95

$123 $123

-89.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$22.85 $22.85

-48.40%

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

$1,446 $1,446

$3,333 $3,333

-56.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K $32.2K

$60.0K $60.0K

-46.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.83 $45.83

$75.2 $75.2

-39.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 $44.65

$52.4 $52.4

-14.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$122 $122

-30.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$133 $133

-24.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 $2,017

$4,389 $4,389

-54.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$3,130 $3,130

-35.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,773 $2,773

$8,918 $8,918

-68.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 $2,419

$5,354 $5,354

-54.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,440 $4,440

$5,343 $5,343

-16.90%

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 Federal Way, WA: 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

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 54.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Federal Way, WA

$421 12.7%

New York, NY

$545 11% 29.5% $124

Eating Out

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.2%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 8.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Federal Way, WA

$322 9.7%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 13% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.7%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 38.9% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 361% $132

Getting Around

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 672% $145

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,017 in Federal Way, WA 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 20% 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 $76.0 in Federal Way, WA versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $545 – making Federal Way, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

00:20 12:20 AM

3 h ahead of Federal Way, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,030

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Federal Way, WA New York, NY 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Federal Way, WA
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

Federal Way, WA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,985 per month in Federal Way, WA 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 Federal Way, WA, 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 $3,324 in Federal Way, WA and $4,950 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 49%.

Kindergarten costs $1,446 per month in Federal Way, WA and $3,333 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,324 in Federal Way, WA and $4,950 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Federal Way, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Federal Way, WA. 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.