Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lexington, KY and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Lexington, KY: $2,209 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, KY
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Lexington, KY Living Index
239

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

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Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,209

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,209 in Lexington, KY versus $4,950 in New York, NY.

Lexington, KY $2,209
New York, NY $4,950

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,249 in Lexington, KY versus $7,265 in New York, NY.

Lexington, KY $3,249
New York, NY $7,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,289 in Lexington, KY versus $9,581 in New York, NY.

Lexington, KY $4,289
New York, NY $9,581

Living in Lexington, KY costs roughly 55% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lexington, KY 64% above, New York, NY 267% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.82 $12.82

$24.65 $24.65

-47.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 $57.6

$122 $122

-52.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 $8.78

$13.91 $13.91

-36.88%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$6.59 $6.59

-24.13%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$3.84 $3.84

-35.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.87 $2.87

-25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$7.79 $7.79

-35.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 $5.98

$9.85 $9.85

-39.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.38 $1.38

-43.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.68 $4.68

-40.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$7.54 $7.54

-45.62%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$5.93 $5.93

-37.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 $10.40

$18.83 $18.83

-44.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$17.36 $17.36

-40.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$18.51 $18.51

-22.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$6.74 $6.74

-21.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.09 $2.09

-26.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$6.07 $6.07

-9.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$6.74 $6.74

-35.16%

Potato (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$4.05 $4.05

4.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.37 $4.37

-26.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.89 $2.89

-25.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.60 $2.60

20.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.68 $8.68

$18.72 $18.72

-53.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 $12.87

$20.06 $20.06

-35.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.25 $3.25

-17.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.73 $3.73

15.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.06 $3.06

-67.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 $30.52

$140 $140

-78.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.04 $3.04

61.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.12 $1.12

-10.71%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.5K $35.5K

1.48%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

-0.67%

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

$191 $191

$219 $219

-12.98%

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

$105 $105

$73.2 $73.2

43.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$72.0 $72.0

4.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 $38.65

$123 $123

-68.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.41 $29.41

$67.7 $67.7

-56.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 $14.86

$22.85 $22.85

-34.97%

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

$2,261 $2,261

$3,333 $3,333

-32.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$60.0K $60.0K

-58.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$75.2 $75.2

-32.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.06 $31.06

$52.4 $52.4

-40.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$122 $122

-3.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$133 $133

14.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$4,389 $4,389

-73.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 $942

$3,130 $3,130

-69.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$8,918 $8,918

-77.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$5,354 $5,354

-70.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,066 $2,066

$19.4K $19.4K

-89.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,100 $2,100

$6,806 $6,806

-69.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,968 $3,968

$5,343 $5,343

-25.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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

Last update for Lexington, KY: 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

Lexington, KY

$942 42.6%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 232% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Lexington, KY

$386 17.5%

New York, NY

$545 11% 41.3% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lexington, KY

$371 16.8%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 1.8% $6.6

Eating Out

Lexington, KY

$245 11.1%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 65% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Lexington, KY

$158 7.2%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 8.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Lexington, KY

$68 3.1%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 146% $100

Getting Around

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.8%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 323% $127

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 $1,141 in Lexington, KY and $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 35% 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: $58.0 in Lexington, KY vs $122 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $545 per month, with Lexington, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

Same time as Lexington, KY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,570

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

Lexington, KY New York, NY 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lexington, KY
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

Lexington, KY vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lexington, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 124% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lexington, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 35% 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: $1,141 in Lexington, KY versus $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lexington, KY – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $122 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,209 per month in Lexington, KY versus $4,950 in New York, NY – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,209 in Lexington, KY versus $4,950 in New York, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lexington, KY but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Lexington, KY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lexington, KY delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,209 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lexington, KY hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lexington, KY 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 Lexington, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.