Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Fontana, CA: $3,395 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Fontana, CA
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Fontana, 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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Fontana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,395

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,395 per month in Fontana, CA vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Fontana, CA $3,395
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $5,018 per month in Fontana, CA vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Fontana, CA $5,018
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $6,640 per month in Fontana, CA vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Fontana, CA $6,640
New York, NY $9,509

Fontana, CA is about 31% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fontana, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Fontana, CA by 149%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 $20.08

$28.55 $28.55

-29.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$118 $118

-33.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.72 $14.72

$15.04 $15.04

-2.13%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$6.53 $6.53

-12.25%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$3.96 $3.96

-14.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.01 $3.01

-17.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 $7.28

$8.16 $8.16

-10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 $9.61

$9.84 $9.84

-2.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.37 $1.37

-23.36%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.97 $4.97

-16.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$7.81 $7.81

-39.56%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.97 $5.97

-15.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$18.91 $18.91

-30.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$18.04 $18.04

-50.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 $15.70

$19.05 $19.05

-17.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$6.76 $6.76

-30.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.27 $2.27

-4.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$6.83 $6.83

-42.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$7.09 $7.09

-23.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$4.22 $4.22

-10.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$4.65 $4.65

-52.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.87 $2.87

-29.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.60 $2.60

-26.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$18.77 $18.77

-37.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$20.13 $20.13

-24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.45 $3.45

-41.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.02 $4.02

1.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.43 $45.43

$139 $139

-67.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.08 $3.08

98.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.17 $1.17

30.77%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$34.5K $34.5K

-17.95%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

0.59%

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

$221 $221

$219 $219

0.89%

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

$79.0 $79.0

$74.2 $74.2

6.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 $60.0

$70.2 $70.2

-14.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$22.14 $22.14

-31.44%

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

$1,195 $1,195

$3,558 $3,558

-66.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$75.6 $75.6

-24.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 $40.72

$51.2 $51.2

-20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$123 $123

-24.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$140 $140

-26.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$4,499 $4,499

-56.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,071 $2,071

$3,078 $3,078

-32.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,187 $3,187

$9,447 $9,447

-66.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 $3,737

$5,190 $5,190

-27.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,906 $4,906

$5,220 $5,220

-6.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.86

-8.02%

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

Last update for Fontana, CA: October 25, 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

Fontana, CA

$2.1K 61%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 48.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Fontana, CA

$397 11.7%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 41.9% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fontana, CA

$360 10.6%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 1% $3.5

Eating Out

Fontana, CA

$353 10.4%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 24.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Fontana, CA

$132 3.9%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 32.6% $43

Getting Around

Fontana, CA

$52 * 1.5%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 219% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Fontana, CA

$30 * 0.9%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 415% $126

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,970 in Fontana, CA versus $4,499 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 6% 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 $79 in Fontana, CA versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $563 – making Fontana, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fontana, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

21:45 9:45 PM

00:45 12:45 AM

3 h ahead of Fontana, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Fontana, CA New York, NY 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Fontana, 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

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

New York, NY costs about 46% more than Fontana, CA, 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 $5,093 per month in Fontana, CA and $7,412 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 Fontana, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,970 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,395 in Fontana, CA and $4,941 in New York, NY. That makes Fontana, CA about 31% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Fontana, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,395 in Fontana, CA and $4,941 in New York, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Fontana, CA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.