Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manta and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $51,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
Learn more

Manta Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $678 in Manta versus $4,950 in New York, NY.

Manta $678
New York, NY $4,950

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,157 in Manta versus $7,265 in New York, NY.

Manta $1,157
New York, NY $7,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,636 in Manta versus $9,581 in New York, NY.

Manta $1,636
New York, NY $9,581

Living in Manta costs roughly 86% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manta is 50% below, New York, NY is 267% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 $2.96

$24.65 $24.65

-87.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 $52.2

$122 $122

-57.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 $5.39

$13.91 $13.91

-61.25%

Cappuccino

$2.92 $2.92

$6.59 $6.59

-55.69%

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

$0.52 $0.52

$3.84 $3.84

-86.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 $0.38

$2.87 $2.87

-86.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 $2.97

$7.79 $7.79

-61.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$9.85 $9.85

-62.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.38 $1.38

-25.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 $1.91

$4.68 $4.68

-59.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$7.54 $7.54

-87.00%

Eggs

$2.13 $2.13

$5.93 $5.93

-64.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$18.83 $18.83

-84.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$17.36 $17.36

-82.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$18.51 $18.51

-63.10%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$6.74 $6.74

-85.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.09 $2.09

-62.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 $0.71

$6.07 $6.07

-88.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 $0.78

$6.74 $6.74

-88.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$4.05 $4.05

-87.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$4.37 $4.37

-89.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 $0.69

$2.89 $2.89

-76.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.60 $2.60

-61.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 $4.08

$18.72 $18.72

-78.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$20.06 $20.06

-65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$3.25 $3.25

-68.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.73 $3.73

-41.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 $0.50

$3.06 $3.06

-83.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.04 $3.04

-44.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.15 $2.15

-19.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.27 $9.27

$41.82 $41.82

-77.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.12 $1.12

-35.71%

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

$20.7K $20.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

-41.71%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

18.28%

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

$97.1 $97.1

$219 $219

-55.65%

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

$11.13 $11.13

$73.2 $73.2

-84.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.84 $25.84

$72.0 $72.0

-64.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.23 $20.23

$123 $123

-83.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$67.7 $67.7

-48.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 $4.89

$22.85 $22.85

-78.60%

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

$369 $369

$3,333 $3,333

-88.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,783 $5,783

$60.0K $60.0K

-90.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 $55.2

$75.2 $75.2

-26.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 $40.87

$52.4 $52.4

-21.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$122 $122

-17.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.8 $61.8

$133 $133

-53.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 $303

$4,389 $4,389

-93.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 $141

$3,130 $3,130

-95.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 $917

$8,918 $8,918

-89.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 $334

$5,354 $5,354

-93.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$474 $474

$5,343 $5,343

-91.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

6.82

47.36%

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

Last update for Manta: October 10, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manta

$143 21.1%

New York, NY

$545 11% 281% $402

Accommodation & Living

Manta

$141 20.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 2115% $3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manta

$134 19.8%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 172% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Manta

$116 17.2%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 47.9% $56

Eating Out

Manta

$101 14.9%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 301% $303

Sport & Entertainment

Manta

$30 4.4%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 461% $138

Getting Around

Manta

$12 * 1.8%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 1246% $154

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $303 in Manta and $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 1028% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Manta vs $122 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $143 vs $545 per month, with Manta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Manta

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

20:55 8:55 PM

1 h ahead of Manta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,553

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manta New York, NY 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Manta
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

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

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 630% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1028% lower in New York, 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: $303 in Manta versus $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $369 in Manta versus $3,333 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $122 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $4,950 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta 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.

Expats usually find Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 630% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.