Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Little Rock, AR and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Little Rock, AR: $2,137 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $36,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Little Rock, AR
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Little Rock, AR Living Index
245

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

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Little Rock, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,137

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,137 per month in Little Rock, AR vs $5,142 in New York, NY, rent included.

Little Rock, AR $2,137
New York, NY $5,142

A couple spends around $3,103 per month in Little Rock, AR vs $7,455 in New York, NY, rent included.

Little Rock, AR $3,103
New York, NY $7,455

A family of three spends $4,069 per month in Little Rock, AR vs $9,767 in New York, NY, rent included.

Little Rock, AR $4,069
New York, NY $9,767

Little Rock, AR is about 58% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Little Rock, AR and New York, NY sit above the global median – Little Rock, AR by 59%, New York, NY by 284%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 $17.18

$26.46 $26.46

-35.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$119 $119

-37.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 $10.84

$14.43 $14.43

-24.88%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$6.55 $6.55

-21.37%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$3.84 $3.84

-23.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.00 $3.00

-19.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 $5.54

$8.27 $8.27

-33.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.41 $6.41

$10.05 $10.05

-36.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.31 $1.31

-16.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$4.90 $4.90

-45.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$7.16 $7.16

-60.61%

Eggs

$3.39 $3.39

$5.92 $5.92

-42.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 $10.15

$19.06 $19.06

-46.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$17.38 $17.38

-32.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.86 $22.86

$18.94 $18.94

20.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$6.96 $6.96

-27.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.08 $2.08

-29.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$6.10 $6.10

-27.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$6.95 $6.95

-45.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.98 $3.98

-31.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$4.44 $4.44

-42.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.81 $2.81

-30.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.51 $2.51

-23.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 $9.74

$19.27 $19.27

-49.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 $13.47

$19.67 $19.67

-31.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.08 $3.08

-42.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.68 $3.68

-53.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 $1.36

$3.02 $3.02

-54.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.95 $35.95

$140 $140

-74.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.07 $3.07

-17.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.13 $2.13

-30.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.22 $24.22

$41.21 $41.21

-41.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.11 $1.11

-18.92%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

6.86%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.4K $25.4K

3.10%

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

$218 $218

$217 $217

0.07%

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

$59.9 $59.9

$74.0 $74.0

-19.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 $68.3

$72.5 $72.5

-5.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.12 $29.12

$120 $120

-75.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.94 $13.94

$66.9 $66.9

-79.16%

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 $12.76

$22.32 $22.32

-42.83%

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

$1,014 $1,014

$3,425 $3,425

-70.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K $18.9K

$61.2K $61.2K

-69.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$76.3 $76.3

-33.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.52 $39.52

$55.5 $55.5

-28.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 $83.8

$119 $119

-29.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 $147

$131 $131

12.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 $1,132

$4,506 $4,506

-74.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 $874

$3,155 $3,155

-72.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 $1,577

$8,817 $8,817

-82.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 $1,282

$5,532 $5,532

-76.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,870 $1,870

$19.4K $19.4K

-90.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,335 $1,335

$6,754 $6,754

-80.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,805 $3,805

$5,290 $5,290

-28.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.82

-1.03%

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

Last update for Little Rock, AR: October 4, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Little Rock, AR

$874 40.9%

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2% 261% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

Little Rock, AR

$374 17.5%

New York, NY

$546 11% 45.9% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Little Rock, AR

$346 16.2%

New York, NY

$364 7.3% 5.3% $18

Eating Out

Little Rock, AR

$294 13.7%

New York, NY

$422 8.5% 43.8% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Little Rock, AR

$145 6.8%

New York, NY

$172 3.4% 18.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Little Rock, AR

$55 2.6%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 202% $110

Getting Around

Little Rock, AR

$51 2.4%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 222% $114

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,132 in Little Rock, AR versus $4,506 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 39% 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 $74.0 in Little Rock, AR versus $119 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $546 – making Little Rock, AR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Little Rock, AR

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

08:39 8:39 AM

1 h ahead of Little Rock, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,591

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Little Rock, AR New York, NY 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Little Rock, AR
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

Little Rock, AR vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,137 in Little Rock, AR, $5,142 in New York, NY – roughly 141% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,205 per month in Little Rock, AR and $7,714 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 Little Rock, AR, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,014 per month in Little Rock, AR and $3,425 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Little Rock, AR, where all-in costs run around $2,137, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Little Rock, AR it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,137 in Little Rock, AR to $5,142 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Little Rock, AR. 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.