Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Island, NY and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Long Island, NY: $4,225 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
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Long Island, NY Living Index
239

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

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Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,225 per month in Long Island, NY vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Long Island, NY $4,225
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $5,930 per month in Long Island, NY vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Long Island, NY $5,930
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $7,634 per month in Long Island, NY vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Long Island, NY $7,634
New York, NY $9,509

Long Island, NY is about 15% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Long Island, NY and New York, NY sit above the global median – Long Island, NY by 210%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$28.55 $28.55

-11.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$118 $118

-16.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 $10.99

$15.04 $15.04

-26.93%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$6.53 $6.53

-22.21%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$3.96 $3.96

-45.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.01 $3.01

-47.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 $8.02

$8.16 $8.16

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$9.84 $9.84

-19.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.37 $1.37

-3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.97 $4.97

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$7.81 $7.81

-75.16%

Eggs

$5.26 $5.26

$5.97 $5.97

-11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$18.91 $18.91

-61.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$18.04 $18.04

-34.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.05 $19.05

-14.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$6.76 $6.76

-36.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.27 $2.27

-47.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$6.83 $6.83

-69.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$7.09 $7.09

-13.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$4.22 $4.22

-74.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$4.65 $4.65

-53.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.87 $2.87

-48.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.60 $2.60

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$18.77 $18.77

-36.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.58 $17.58

$20.13 $20.13

-12.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.45 $3.45

-48.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.02 $4.02

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.91 $2.91

2.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 $130

$139 $139

-6.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.08 $3.08

-2.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.12 $2.12

-5.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.41 $24.41

$41.96 $41.96

-41.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.17 $1.17

-5.13%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.5K $34.5K

-20.27%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.64%

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

$192 $192

$219 $219

-12.60%

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

$48.26 $48.26

$74.2 $74.2

-34.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$70.2 $70.2

-23.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.30 $31.30

$112 $112

-72.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$102 $102

$74.9 $74.9

36.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 $14.69

$22.14 $22.14

-33.65%

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

$2,444 $2,444

$3,558 $3,558

-31.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$62.2K $62.2K

-62.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.07 $40.07

$75.6 $75.6

-47.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$51.2 $51.2

10.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 $76.3

$123 $123

-38.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$140 $140

11.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 $3,189

$4,499 $4,499

-29.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 $2,820

$3,078 $3,078

-8.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,670 $5,670

$9,447 $9,447

-39.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,315 $4,315

$5,190 $5,190

-16.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 $5,973

$18.1K $18.1K

-67.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,241 $4,241

$6,693 $6,693

-36.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,981 $4,981

$5,220 $5,220

-4.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.86

-3.35%

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 New York, NY: 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%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 9.2% $258

Groceries & Markets

Long Island, NY

$382 9%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 47.5% $181

Eating Out

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 20.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Island, NY

$294 7%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 23.9% $70

Getting Around

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 6.4% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 18.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 158% $96

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,189 in Long Island, NY versus $4,499 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 5% 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 $99 in Long Island, NY versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $563 – making Long Island, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

01:26 1:26 AM

Same time as Long Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,804,968

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Long Island, NY New York, NY 95 km

From you

Long Island, 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

Long Island, NY vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,225 in Long Island, NY, $4,941 in New York, NY – Long Island, NY comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,337 per month in Long Island, NY and $7,412 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 Long Island, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $3,189 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $2,444 per month in Long Island, NY and $3,558 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 47% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Long Island, NY costs $4,225 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Long Island, NY. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.