Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Island, NY and Alpharetta, GA

For one person, living is cheaper in Alpharetta, GA: $3,008 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Long Island, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
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Long Island, NY Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index

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Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Long Island, NY and in Alpharetta, GA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Long Island, NY and in Alpharetta, GA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,225 in Long Island, NY versus $3,008 in Alpharetta, GA.

Long Island, NY $4,225
Alpharetta, GA $3,008

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,930 in Long Island, NY versus $4,289 in Alpharetta, GA.

Long Island, NY $5,930
Alpharetta, GA $4,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,634 in Long Island, NY versus $5,570 in Alpharetta, GA.

Long Island, NY $7,634
Alpharetta, GA $5,570

Living in Long Island, NY is roughly 40% more expensive than in Alpharetta, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Long Island, NY 210% above, Alpharetta, GA 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$26.37 $26.37

-4.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$78.5 $78.5

25.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 $10.99

$9.99 $9.99

10.01%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$4.70 $4.70

8.09%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$2.58 $2.58

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.05 $2.05

-22.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 $8.02

$5.78 $5.78

38.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$7.41 $7.41

6.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.91 $0.91

45.05%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.23 $4.23

0.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$5.74 $5.74

-66.20%

Eggs

$5.26 $5.26

$4.44 $4.44

18.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$11.44 $11.44

-36.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$8.84 $8.84

34.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.89 $19.89

-18.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.52 $4.52

-5.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.23 $2.23

-46.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$4.09 $4.09

-49.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$4.61 $4.61

33.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$3.71 $3.71

-71.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.76 $3.76

-42.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.36 $2.36

-37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.74 $2.74

4.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$9.14 $9.14

29.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.58 $17.58

$14.88 $14.88

18.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.69 $1.69

4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.01 $4.01

2.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.53 $2.53

17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 $130

$96.6 $96.6

34.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.08 $3.08

-2.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.42 $2.42

-17.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.41 $24.41

$39.80 $39.80

-38.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.89 $0.89

24.72%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$33.0K $33.0K

-16.79%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$27.3K $27.3K

-3.83%

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

$192 $192

$255 $255

-24.74%

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

$48.26 $48.26

$53.7 $53.7

-10.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$87.2 $87.2

-38.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.30 $31.30

$50.3 $50.3

-37.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$102 $102

$22.10 $22.10

361.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 $14.69

$17.20 $17.20

-14.59%

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

$2,444 $2,444

$1,308 $1,308

86.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$15.6K $15.6K

51.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.07 $40.07

$77.9 $77.9

-48.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$44.07 $44.07

28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 $76.3

$128 $128

-40.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$139 $139

11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 $3,189

$1,981 $1,981

61.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 $2,820

$1,458 $1,458

93.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,670 $5,670

$2,740 $2,740

106.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,315 $4,315

$2,212 $2,212

95.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 $5,973

$4,068 $4,068

46.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,241 $4,241

$2,526 $2,526

67.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,981 $4,981

$6,367 $6,367

-21.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.84

-3.07%

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

Last update for Long Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8%

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 48.5% 48.3% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Long Island, NY

$382 9%

Alpharetta, GA

$413 13.7% 8.2% $31

Eating Out

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7%

Alpharetta, GA

$360 12% 1.7% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Island, NY

$294 7%

Alpharetta, GA

$396 13.2% 34.7% $102

Getting Around

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7%

Alpharetta, GA

$122 4.1% 21.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5%

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8% 18.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4%

Alpharetta, GA

$85 2.8% 39.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,189 in Long Island, NY and $1,981 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99 in Long Island, NY vs $78 in Alpharetta, GA. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $413, with Long Island, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

Same time as Long Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,804,968

65,799

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Long Island, NY Alpharetta, GA 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Long Island, NY
Alpharetta, GA

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

Long Island, NY vs Alpharetta, GA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alpharetta, GA is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Long Island, 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: $3,189 in Long Island, NY versus $1,981 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alpharetta, GA runs roughly 25% less than in Long Island, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,444 in Long Island, NY versus $1,308 in Alpharetta, GA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Alpharetta, GA 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.