Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laguna Niguel, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Laguna Niguel, CA: $4,258 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

206

Cost of Living Index in Laguna Niguel, CA
Learn more

Laguna Niguel, CA Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Laguna Niguel, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,258

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,258 per month in Laguna Niguel, CA vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Laguna Niguel, CA $4,258
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $5,464 per month in Laguna Niguel, CA vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Laguna Niguel, CA $5,464
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $6,671 per month in Laguna Niguel, CA vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Laguna Niguel, CA $6,671
New York, NY $9,581

Laguna Niguel, CA is about 14% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Laguna Niguel, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Laguna Niguel, CA by 215%, New York, NY by 267%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.71 $24.71

$24.65 $24.65

0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 $104

$122 $122

-14.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 $13.65

$13.91 $13.91

-1.87%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$6.59 $6.59

-11.99%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$3.84 $3.84

-21.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.87 $2.87

-31.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$7.79 $7.79

0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.12 $10.12

$9.85 $9.85

2.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.38 $1.38

-5.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.68 $4.68

-0.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$7.54 $7.54

-37.00%

Eggs

$4.95 $4.95

$5.93 $5.93

-16.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.65 $12.65

$18.83 $18.83

-32.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$17.36 $17.36

-8.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.72 $19.72

$18.51 $18.51

6.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$6.74 $6.74

-16.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.09 $2.09

-17.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.07 $6.07

-22.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$6.74 $6.74

-1.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.05 $4.05

-16.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$4.37 $4.37

-35.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.89 $2.89

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.60 $2.60

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.75 $11.75

$18.72 $18.72

-37.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$20.06 $20.06

-24.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.25 $3.25

-46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.73 $3.73

-28.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$140 $140

-54.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.04 $3.04

-0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.15 $2.15

-15.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.31 $32.31

$41.82 $41.82

-22.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.12 $1.12

37.50%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$35.5K $35.5K

6.05%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.13%

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

$279 $279

$219 $219

27.59%

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

$70.7 $70.7

$73.2 $73.2

-3.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.8 $79.8

$72.0 $72.0

10.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.3 $94.3

$123 $123

-23.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$16.35 $16.35

$22.85 $22.85

-28.45%

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

$1,656 $1,656

$3,333 $3,333

-50.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$60.0K $60.0K

-46.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 $74.3

$75.2 $75.2

-1.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.82 $40.82

$52.4 $52.4

-22.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$122 $122

-2.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 $172

$133 $133

28.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,927 $2,927

$4,389 $4,389

-33.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,593 $2,593

$3,130 $3,130

-17.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,575 $4,575

$8,918 $8,918

-48.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,988 $2,988

$5,354 $5,354

-44.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,014 $5,014

$5,343 $5,343

-6.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.82

-2.64%

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

Last update for Laguna Niguel, CA: October 11, 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

Laguna Niguel, CA

$2.6K 60.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 20.7% $537

Groceries & Markets

Laguna Niguel, CA

$462 10.8%

New York, NY

$545 11% 18.1% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Laguna Niguel, CA

$430 10.1%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 15.3% $66

Eating Out

Laguna Niguel, CA

$388 9.1%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 4.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Laguna Niguel, CA

$182 4.3%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 5.7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Laguna Niguel, CA

$127 3%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 32.6% $41

Getting Around

Laguna Niguel, CA

$76 * 1.8%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 119% $90

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,927 in Laguna Niguel, CA versus $4,389 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 7% 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 $104 in Laguna Niguel, CA versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $462 vs $545 – making Laguna Niguel, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Laguna Niguel, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

14:10 2:10 PM

17:10 5:10 PM

3 h ahead of Laguna Niguel, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,771

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

Laguna Niguel, CA New York, NY 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Laguna Niguel, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,258 in Laguna Niguel, CA, $4,950 in New York, NY – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,387 per month in Laguna Niguel, CA and $7,424 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 Laguna Niguel, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,258 in Laguna Niguel, CA and $4,950 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 16%.

Public transport costs about 119% less in Laguna Niguel, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$5,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,258 in Laguna Niguel, CA and $4,950 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Laguna Niguel, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $4,258 in Laguna Niguel, CA to $4,950 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Laguna Niguel, CA. 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.