Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lakewood, WA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Lakewood, WA: $3,284 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

158

Cost of Living Index in Lakewood, WA
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Lakewood, WA Living Index
239

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

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Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,284

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,284 in Lakewood, WA versus $4,938 in New York, NY.

Lakewood, WA $3,284
New York, NY $4,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,777 in Lakewood, WA versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Lakewood, WA $4,777
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,270 in Lakewood, WA versus $9,608 in New York, NY.

Lakewood, WA $6,270
New York, NY $9,608

Living in Lakewood, WA costs roughly 33% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lakewood, WA 142% above, New York, NY 264% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$24.99 $24.99

-27.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 $67.6

$120 $120

-43.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 $12.71

$13.74 $13.74

-7.50%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$6.60 $6.60

-21.21%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$3.82 $3.82

-21.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.87 $2.87

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$7.95 $7.95

-50.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 $6.10

$10.06 $10.06

-39.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.37 $1.37

-25.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$4.75 $4.75

-22.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$7.69 $7.69

-44.86%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$5.87 $5.87

-33.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$19.25 $19.25

-28.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$17.83 $17.83

-51.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 $11.21

$19.03 $19.03

-41.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$6.69 $6.69

-34.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.29 $2.29

-15.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$6.41 $6.41

-35.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.75 $6.75

-33.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.93 $3.93

-49.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$4.52 $4.52

-52.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.79 $2.79

-27.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.51 $2.51

-0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$18.10 $18.10

-31.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

$20.16 $20.16

-21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.26 $3.26

-39.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.75 $3.75

10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.92 $2.92

-30.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$197 $197

$143 $143

37.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.06 $3.06

-33.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 $0.64

$2.16 $2.16

-70.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 $27.31

$41.33 $41.33

-33.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.12 $1.12

19.64%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$33.1K $33.1K

-15.18%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

2.28%

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

$289 $289

$219 $219

31.65%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$75.3 $75.3

-1.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.5 $89.5

$70.5 $70.5

26.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.00 $41.00

$116 $116

-64.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.97 $24.97

$67.6 $67.6

-63.07%

Cinema Ticket

$18.08 $18.08

$21.37 $21.37

-15.40%

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

$1,965 $1,965

$3,432 $3,432

-42.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K $25.7K

$61.7K $61.7K

-58.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$74.9 $74.9

-33.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 $38.11

$52.1 $52.1

-26.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$117 $117

-14.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$135 $135

1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 $1,961

$4,347 $4,347

-54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 $1,733

$3,117 $3,117

-44.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,365 $3,365

$9,110 $9,110

-63.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,047 $3,047

$5,379 $5,379

-43.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,359 $2,359

$19.3K $19.3K

-87.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,606 $2,606

$6,943 $6,943

-62.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.85

-0.58%

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

Last update for Lakewood, WA: October 19, 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

Lakewood, WA

$1.7K 52.8%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 79.9% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lakewood, WA

$452 13.8%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 19.3% $87

Groceries & Markets

Lakewood, WA

$369 11.2%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 49.8% $184

Eating Out

Lakewood, WA

$297 9.1%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 37% $110

Getting Around

Lakewood, WA

$210 6.4%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 20% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Lakewood, WA

$146 4.5%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 16.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Lakewood, WA

$77 2.4%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 105% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,961 in Lakewood, WA and $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Lakewood, WA vs $120 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $552 per month, with Lakewood, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

04:11 4:11 AM

3 h ahead of Lakewood, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,024

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lakewood, WA New York, NY 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lakewood, WA
New York, NY

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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

Lakewood, WA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lakewood, WA and New York, NY differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($3,284 vs $4,938 including rent). Lakewood, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,926 in Lakewood, WA and $7,407 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: $1,961 in Lakewood, WA versus $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lakewood, WA – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $120 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,284 per month in Lakewood, WA versus $4,938 in New York, NY – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lakewood, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lakewood, WA 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 Lakewood, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.