Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, MO and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Houston, MO: $2,699 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Houston, MO
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Houston, MO Living Index
239

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

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Houston, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,699

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,699 in Houston, MO versus $4,950 in New York, NY.

Houston, MO $2,699
New York, NY $4,950

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,960 in Houston, MO versus $7,265 in New York, NY.

Houston, MO $3,960
New York, NY $7,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,221 in Houston, MO versus $9,581 in New York, NY.

Houston, MO $5,221
New York, NY $9,581

Living in Houston, MO costs roughly 45% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houston, MO 100% above, New York, NY 267% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 $18.08

$24.65 $24.65

-26.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 $77.5

$122 $122

-36.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 $12.09

$13.91 $13.91

-13.08%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$6.59 $6.59

-21.40%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$3.84 $3.84

-36.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.87 $2.87

-39.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 $5.60

$7.79 $7.79

-28.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$9.85 $9.85

-26.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.38 $1.38

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.68 $4.68

-18.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$7.54 $7.54

-24.27%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$5.93 $5.93

-34.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 $13.29

$18.83 $18.83

-29.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$17.36 $17.36

-11.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.59 $20.59

$18.51 $18.51

11.24%

Apples (1kg)

$8.21 $8.21

$6.74 $6.74

21.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.09 $2.09

14.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$6.07 $6.07

-8.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$6.74 $6.74

-21.96%

Potato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.05 $4.05

6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.37 $4.37

13.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.89 $2.89

-2.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.60 $2.60

8.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 $8.24

$18.72 $18.72

-55.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$20.06 $20.06

-24.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.25 $3.25

-12.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.73 $3.73

-13.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.06 $3.06

-37.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.04 $3.04

11.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.15 $2.15

-26.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.87 $39.87

$41.82 $41.82

-4.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.12 $1.12

-9.82%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

0.78%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$26.0K $26.0K

-5.93%

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

$244 $244

$219 $219

11.22%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$73.2 $73.2

-6.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$72.0 $72.0

3.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.02 $44.02

$123 $123

-64.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$13.93 $13.93

$22.85 $22.85

-39.04%

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

$1,425 $1,425

$3,333 $3,333

-57.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$60.0K $60.0K

-60.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 $58.8

$75.2 $75.2

-21.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.41 $39.41

$52.4 $52.4

-24.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 $87.1

$122 $122

-28.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$133 $133

-10.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 $1,347

$4,389 $4,389

-69.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 $1,292

$3,130 $3,130

-58.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,488 $2,488

$8,918 $8,918

-72.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$5,354 $5,354

-59.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,726 $2,726

$19.4K $19.4K

-85.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,291 $2,291

$6,806 $6,806

-66.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.82

-1.47%

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

Last update for Houston, MO: October 12, 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

Houston, MO

$1.3K 47.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 142% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Houston, MO

$490 18.2%

New York, NY

$545 11% 11.1% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houston, MO

$387 14.3%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 5.8% $22

Eating Out

Houston, MO

$302 11.2%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 33.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Houston, MO

$137 5.1%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 25.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Houston, MO

$72 2.7%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 134% $97

Getting Around

Houston, MO

$19 * 0.7%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 777% $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 $1,347 in Houston, MO and $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Houston, MO vs $122 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $545 per month, with Houston, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houston, MO

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

18:59 6:59 PM

1 h ahead of Houston, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,304,580

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Houston, MO New York, NY 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Houston, MO
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

Houston, MO vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Houston, MO is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,049 in Houston, MO and $7,424 in New York, NY to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,347 in Houston, MO versus $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,425 in Houston, MO versus $3,333 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 Houston, MO – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $122 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Houston, MO is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Houston, MO is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Houston, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.