Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Alamos, NM and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,060 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $46,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index
239

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

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Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,060

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,060 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,060
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $1,643 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,643
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $2,227 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $2,227
New York, NY $9,608

Los Alamos, NM is about 79% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Los Alamos, NM sits 22% below the global median, while New York, NY is 264% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.75 $16.75

$24.99 $24.99

-32.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.58 $39.58

$120 $120

-67.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$13.74 $13.74

-28.53%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$6.60 $6.60

-25.00%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$3.82 $3.82

-34.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.87 $2.87

-46.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$7.95 $7.95

-25.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$10.06 $10.06

-31.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.37 $1.37

-30.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 $2.16

$4.75 $4.75

-54.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$7.69 $7.69

-39.92%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$5.87 $5.87

-31.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$19.25 $19.25

-38.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$17.83 $17.83

-45.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.91 $17.91

$19.03 $19.03

-5.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$6.69 $6.69

-27.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.29 $2.29

-37.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$6.41 $6.41

-55.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$6.75 $6.75

-35.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$3.93 $3.93

-71.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.52 $4.52

-26.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.79 $2.79

-26.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

$2.51 $2.51

-79.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 $11.00

$18.10 $18.10

-39.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 $13.84

$20.16 $20.16

-31.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.26 $3.26

-24.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.75 $3.75

-2.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.06 $3.06

17.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.16 $2.16

-10.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.32 $32.32

$41.33 $41.33

-21.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.12 $1.12

-16.07%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$33.1K $33.1K

-9.35%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

-1.57%

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

$156 $156

$219 $219

-28.71%

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

$40.31 $40.31

$75.3 $75.3

-46.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$70.5 $70.5

2.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$12.88 $12.88

$21.37 $21.37

-39.73%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$3,432 $3,432

-56.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$61.7K $61.7K

-59.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.09 $20.09

$74.9 $74.9

-73.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 $43.66

$52.1 $52.1

-16.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$117 $117

-12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$135 $135

-13.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 $1,101

$4,347 $4,347

-74.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,926 $1,926

$9,110 $9,110

-78.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,369 $3,369

$19.3K $19.3K

-82.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,369 $3,369

$6,943 $6,943

-51.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,167 $8,167

$5,238 $5,238

55.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.85

-4.09%

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

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Los Alamos, NM

$342 32.3%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 61.6% $211

Eating Out

Los Alamos, NM

$282 26.7%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 44.1% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.4%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 35.7% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Los Alamos, NM

$127 12%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 33.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.4%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 514% $132

Getting Around

Los Alamos, NM

$13 * 1.3%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 1163% $155

Accommodation & Living

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,101 in Los Alamos, NM versus $4,347 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 56% higher in Los Alamos, NM, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $552 – making Los Alamos, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

13:49 1:49 PM

2 h ahead of Los Alamos, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,179

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

Los Alamos, NM New York, NY 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Alamos, NM
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

Los Alamos, NM vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 366%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,589 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $7,407 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 Los Alamos, NM, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 366%.

Kindergarten costs $1,480 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $3,432 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Alamos, NM, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in New York, NY at $4,938. In Los Alamos, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Los Alamos, NM – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Los Alamos, NM. 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.