Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Forks, ND and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Grand Forks, ND: $2,035 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $34,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Grand Forks, ND
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Grand Forks, ND Living Index
239

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

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Grand Forks, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,035

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,035 in Grand Forks, ND versus $4,938 in New York, NY.

Grand Forks, ND $2,035
New York, NY $4,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,968 in Grand Forks, ND versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Grand Forks, ND $2,968
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,901 in Grand Forks, ND versus $9,608 in New York, NY.

Grand Forks, ND $3,901
New York, NY $9,608

Living in Grand Forks, ND costs roughly 59% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grand Forks, ND 50% above, New York, NY 264% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.31 $21.31

$24.99 $24.99

-14.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 $81.5

$120 $120

-32.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.11 $13.11

$13.74 $13.74

-4.59%

Cappuccino

$6.13 $6.13

$6.60 $6.60

-7.12%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$3.82 $3.82

-26.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.87 $2.87

3.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$7.95 $7.95

-38.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$10.06 $10.06

-40.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.37 $1.37

-17.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.75 $4.75

-23.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$7.69 $7.69

-41.74%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$5.87 $5.87

-37.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.28 $24.28

$19.25 $19.25

26.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.29 $2.29

-13.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$6.41 $6.41

-30.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$6.75 $6.75

-51.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.93 $3.93

-43.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$4.52 $4.52

-36.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.79 $2.79

-20.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.51 $2.51

-18.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$18.10 $18.10

-44.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$35.08 $35.08

$20.16 $20.16

74.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.75 $3.75

62.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.92 $2.92

-48.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.18 $41.18

$143 $143

-71.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 $6.03

$3.06 $3.06

97.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.12 $1.12

-21.43%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

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

$25.7K $25.7K

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

$217 $217

$219 $219

-1.15%

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

$115 $115

$75.3 $75.3

52.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 $72.6

$70.5 $70.5

2.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 $62.9

$116 $116

-45.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$15.04 $15.04

$21.37 $21.37

-29.62%

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

$586 $586

$3,432 $3,432

-82.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 $975

$4,347 $4,347

-77.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 $815

$3,117 $3,117

-73.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 $1,564

$9,110 $9,110

-82.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 $1,292

$5,379 $5,379

-75.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,664 $1,664

$19.3K $19.3K

-91.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,682 $1,682

$6,943 $6,943

-75.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,125 $4,125

$5,238 $5,238

-21.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.85

-0.44%

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

Last update for Grand Forks, ND: October 18, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Grand Forks, ND

$815 40.1%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 282% $2.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grand Forks, ND

$404 19.9%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 9.6% $39

Eating Out

Grand Forks, ND

$343 16.9%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 18.7% $64

Groceries & Markets

Grand Forks, ND

$327 * 16.1%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 68.9% $225

Sport & Entertainment

Grand Forks, ND

$93 4.6%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 70.2% $65

Getting Around

Grand Forks, ND

$53 * 2.6%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 216% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Grand Forks, ND

- * 0%

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

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 $975 in Grand Forks, ND and $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 27% 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: $81.0 in Grand Forks, ND vs $120 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $552 per month, with Grand Forks, ND cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Grand Forks, ND

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

05:53 5:53 AM

06:53 6:53 AM

1 h ahead of Grand Forks, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,372

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

Grand Forks, ND New York, NY 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Grand Forks, ND
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

Grand Forks, ND vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grand Forks, ND wins on cost – living expenses run 143% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grand Forks, ND the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in New York, NY. 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: $975 in Grand Forks, ND versus $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Grand Forks, ND runs roughly 246% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $586 in Grand Forks, ND versus $3,432 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,035 in Grand Forks, ND versus $4,938 in New York, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Grand Forks, ND but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Grand Forks, ND the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grand Forks, ND delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,035 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grand Forks, ND hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Grand Forks, ND and New York, NY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Grand Forks, ND gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.