Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lauderdale, FL and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Lauderdale, FL: $3,414 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Fort Lauderdale, FL Living Index
239

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

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Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,414

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,414 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $3,414
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $5,025 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $5,025
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $6,636 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $6,636
New York, NY $9,509

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

Both Fort Lauderdale, FL and New York, NY sit above the global median – Fort Lauderdale, FL by 151%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.40 $29.40

$28.55 $28.55

2.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 $99.7

$118 $118

-15.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.55 $14.55

$15.04 $15.04

-3.26%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$6.53 $6.53

-21.90%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$3.96 $3.96

-24.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.01 $3.01

-27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$8.16 $8.16

-24.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$9.84 $9.84

-29.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.37 $1.37

-25.55%

White Bread (500g)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.97 $4.97

1.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$7.81 $7.81

-51.98%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$5.97 $5.97

-17.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$18.91 $18.91

-8.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 $10.33

$18.04 $18.04

-42.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.42 $26.42

$19.05 $19.05

38.69%

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$6.76 $6.76

-4.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.27 $2.27

-14.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$6.83 $6.83

-36.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$7.09 $7.09

-24.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$4.22 $4.22

-31.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$4.65 $4.65

-31.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.87 $2.87

-7.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.60 $2.60

-31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$18.77 $18.77

-49.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 $11.81

$20.13 $20.13

-41.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.45 $3.45

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$4.02 $4.02

-47.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.91 $2.91

-29.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

$139 $139

-48.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.08 $3.08

30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.12 $2.12

-14.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$41.96 $41.96

-42.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.17 $1.17

-12.82%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$34.5K $34.5K

-17.86%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.99%

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

$212 $212

$219 $219

-3.47%

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

$64.8 $64.8

$74.2 $74.2

-12.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 $80.7

$70.2 $70.2

14.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 $42.90

$112 $112

-61.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.34 $14.34

$74.9 $74.9

-80.84%

Cinema Ticket

$17.92 $17.92

$22.14 $22.14

-19.06%

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

$1,026 $1,026

$3,558 $3,558

-71.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.2K $41.2K

$62.2K $62.2K

-33.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.35 $46.35

$75.6 $75.6

-38.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 $41.77

$51.2 $51.2

-18.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

$123 $123

-28.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$140 $140

-16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 $2,687

$4,499 $4,499

-40.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 $1,893

$3,078 $3,078

-38.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,985 $4,985

$9,447 $9,447

-47.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,168 $3,168

$5,190 $5,190

-38.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,795 $5,795

$18.1K $18.1K

-68.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,254 $4,254

$6,693 $6,693

-36.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,757 $4,757

$5,220 $5,220

-8.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.86

-3.35%

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

Last update for Fort Lauderdale, FL: 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

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$1.9K 55.5%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 62.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$456 13.4%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 23.5% $107

Eating Out

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$405 11.9%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 8.6% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$357 10.5%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 1.8% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$131 3.9%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 33.5% $44

Getting Around

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$92 2.7%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 78.1% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$79 2.3%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 98.4% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL 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 10% 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 $100 in Fort Lauderdale, FL versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $456 vs $563 – making Fort Lauderdale, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

Same time as Fort Lauderdale, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,521

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Fort Lauderdale, FL New York, NY 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Lauderdale, FL
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

Fort Lauderdale, FL vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 45% more than Fort Lauderdale, FL, 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 $5,121 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,687 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $1,026 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL and $3,558 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL – 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL. 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.