Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Angeles, CA: $4,060 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

195

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA 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 Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,060

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Los Angeles, CA $4,060
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,104 in Los Angeles, CA versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Los Angeles, CA $6,104
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,148 in Los Angeles, CA versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Los Angeles, CA $8,148
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Los Angeles, CA costs roughly 18% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 198% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.02 $27.02

$28.55 $28.55

-5.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$118 $118

2.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$15.04 $15.04

1.13%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$6.53 $6.53

-11.49%

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

$3.79 $3.79

$3.96 $3.96

-4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.01 $3.01

-10.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 $7.76

$8.16 $8.16

-4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 $9.98

$9.84 $9.84

1.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.37 $1.37

-5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.97 $4.97

-5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$7.81 $7.81

-41.36%

Eggs

$5.35 $5.35

$5.97 $5.97

-10.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$18.91 $18.91

-40.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$18.04 $18.04

-10.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.42 $19.42

$19.05 $19.05

1.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$6.76 $6.76

-22.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.27 $2.27

2.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$6.83 $6.83

-32.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$7.09 $7.09

-21.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$4.22 $4.22

-19.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$4.65 $4.65

-36.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.87 $2.87

-32.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.60 $2.60

-6.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.99 $11.99

$18.77 $18.77

-36.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$20.13 $20.13

-25.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.45 $3.45

-14.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$4.02 $4.02

-32.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.91 $2.91

-40.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 $105

$139 $139

-24.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.08 $3.08

-0.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.12 $2.12

-11.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 $32.19

$41.96 $41.96

-23.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.17 $1.17

34.19%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

0.03%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

4.25%

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

$280 $280

$219 $219

27.73%

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

$78.4 $78.4

$74.2 $74.2

5.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.1 $79.1

$70.2 $70.2

12.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.2 $71.2

$112 $112

-36.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

$74.9 $74.9

-83.69%

Cinema Ticket

$18.32 $18.32

$22.14 $22.14

-17.25%

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

$1,722 $1,722

$3,558 $3,558

-51.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$62.2K $62.2K

-48.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 $91.6

$75.6 $75.6

21.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

$51.2 $51.2

28.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$123 $123

-4.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 $210

$140 $140

50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 $2,547

$4,499 $4,499

-43.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 $2,295

$3,078 $3,078

-25.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,372 $5,372

$9,447 $9,447

-43.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,158 $4,158

$5,190 $5,190

-19.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,171 $7,171

$18.1K $18.1K

-60.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,923 $6,923

$6,693 $6,693

3.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,204 $4,204

$5,220 $5,220

-19.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 27, 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

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 56.5%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 34.2% $784

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$462 11.4%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 21.9% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.8%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 16.9% $74

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$416 10.2%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 5.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.4%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 19.6% $43

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3.1%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 32.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$108 2.7%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 44.8% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA and $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $121 in Los Angeles, CA vs $118 in New York, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $462 vs $563, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

07:34 7:34 AM

3 h ahead of Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA New York, NY 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Angeles, CA
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 Angeles, CA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Angeles, CA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Los Angeles, CA. 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: $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA versus $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $4,060 per month in Los Angeles, CA versus $4,941 in New York, NY – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $4,000. Los Angeles, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Los Angeles, CA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Los Angeles, CA wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.