Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Florence, SC and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Florence, SC: $2,285 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.

110

Cost of Living Index in Florence, SC
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Florence, SC Living Index
239

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

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Florence, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,285

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,285 in Florence, SC versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Florence, SC $2,285
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,220 in Florence, SC versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Florence, SC $3,220
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,156 in Florence, SC versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Florence, SC $4,156
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Florence, SC costs roughly 54% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Florence, SC 68% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 $15.27

$28.55 $28.55

-46.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 $63.7

$118 $118

-46.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 $11.06

$15.04 $15.04

-26.46%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$6.53 $6.53

-25.42%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$3.96 $3.96

-35.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.01 $3.01

-33.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 $5.02

$8.16 $8.16

-38.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 $6.87

$9.84 $9.84

-30.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.37 $1.37

-25.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 $4.14

$4.97 $4.97

-16.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$7.81 $7.81

-25.61%

Eggs

$5.32 $5.32

$5.97 $5.97

-10.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 $11.54

$18.91 $18.91

-38.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.48 $14.48

$18.04 $18.04

-19.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.86 $24.86

$19.05 $19.05

30.50%

Apples (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$6.76 $6.76

-0.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.27 $2.27

-23.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 $7.01

$6.83 $6.83

2.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$7.09 $7.09

-13.40%

Potato (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$4.22 $4.22

-1.90%

Onion (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$4.65 $4.65

27.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.87 $2.87

-19.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.60 $2.60

22.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.82 $8.82

$18.77 $18.77

-53.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$20.13 $20.13

-26.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.45 $3.45

-42.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 $6.00

$4.02 $4.02

49.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 $7.04

$3.08 $3.08

128.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.12 $2.12

-9.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.17 $1.17

-18.80%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.5K $34.5K

-21.09%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

-1.06%

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

$289 $289

$219 $219

31.56%

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

$56.1 $56.1

$74.2 $74.2

-24.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.71 $40.71

$70.2 $70.2

-42.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$22.14 $22.14

-31.03%

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

$1,344 $1,344

$3,558 $3,558

-62.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.44 $40.44

$75.6 $75.6

-46.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.16 $30.16

$51.2 $51.2

-41.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$123 $123

-13.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 $71.2

$140 $140

-49.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 $981

$4,499 $4,499

-78.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$966 $966

$3,078 $3,078

-68.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 $1,512

$9,447 $9,447

-84.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$5,190 $5,190

-74.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,586 $1,586

$18.1K $18.1K

-91.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,616 $1,616

$6,693 $6,693

-75.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,094 $3,094

$5,220 $5,220

-40.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.86

-4.23%

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

Last update for Florence, SC: 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

Florence, SC

$967 42.3%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 219% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Florence, SC

$503 22%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 11.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Florence, SC

$385 16.9%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 5.6% $22

Eating Out

Florence, SC

$271 11.9%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 62.6% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Florence, SC

$112 4.9%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 57.1% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Florence, SC

$31 * 1.3%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 412% $126

Getting Around

Florence, SC

$17 * 0.7%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 890% $148

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 $981 in Florence, SC and $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 69% 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: $64 in Florence, SC vs $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $503 vs $563 per month, with Florence, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Florence, SC

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

Same time as Florence, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,184

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Florence, SC New York, NY 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Florence, SC
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

Florence, SC vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Florence, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Florence, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Florence, SC. 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: $981 in Florence, SC versus $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,344 in Florence, SC versus $3,558 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Florence, SC – a meal for two runs $64 versus $118 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Florence, SC 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.

It comes down to priorities – Florence, SC wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.