Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Monrovia, CA: $2,704 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia, CA
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Monrovia, 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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Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,704 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $2,704
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $4,049 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $4,049
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $5,394 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $5,394
New York, NY $9,608

Monrovia, CA is about 45% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Monrovia, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Monrovia, CA by 100%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.92 $24.92

$24.99 $24.99

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$120 $120

-15.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 $11.66

$13.74 $13.74

-15.14%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$6.60 $6.60

-15.00%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$3.82 $3.82

-29.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.87 $2.87

-31.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 $8.23

$7.95 $7.95

3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 $9.63

$10.06 $10.06

-4.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.37 $1.37

-13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.75 $4.75

23.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$7.69 $7.69

-44.99%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$5.87 $5.87

-15.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$19.25 $19.25

-35.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.92 $20.92

$17.83 $17.83

17.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$19.03 $19.03

-26.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$6.69 $6.69

-15.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.29 $2.29

-25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$6.41 $6.41

-33.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$6.75 $6.75

-5.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.93 $3.93

-7.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.52 $4.52

-22.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.79 $2.79

-13.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.51 $2.51

-9.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$18.10 $18.10

-35.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$20.16 $20.16

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.26 $3.26

-46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.75 $3.75

-17.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.92 $2.92

-33.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.06 $3.06

50.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.16 $2.16

-16.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.58 $35.58

$41.33 $41.33

-13.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.12 $1.12

42.86%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$33.1K $33.1K

-16.31%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.29%

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

$218 $218

$219 $219

-0.55%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$75.3 $75.3

-3.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$70.5 $70.5

1.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.11 $39.11

$116 $116

-66.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$21.37 $21.37

-44.83%

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

$1,948 $1,948

$3,432 $3,432

-43.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K $42.6K

$61.7K $61.7K

-30.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 $73.1

$74.9 $74.9

-2.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.92 $40.92

$52.1 $52.1

-21.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 $80.5

$117 $117

-31.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 $171

$135 $135

27.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 $1,577

$4,347 $4,347

-63.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 $1,235

$3,117 $3,117

-60.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$9,110 $9,110

-72.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 $2,041

$5,379 $5,379

-62.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,557 $2,557

$19.3K $19.3K

-86.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$6,943 $6,943

-66.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.85

-3.07%

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

Last update for Monrovia, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monrovia, CA

$1.2K 45.7%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 152% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Monrovia, CA

$477 17.7%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 15.7% $75

Eating Out

Monrovia, CA

$381 14.1%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 6.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monrovia, CA

$362 13.4%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 0.9% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Monrovia, CA

$165 6.1%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 3.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Monrovia, CA

$63 2.3%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 152% $96

Getting Around

Monrovia, CA

$21 * 0.8%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 684% $147

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,577 in Monrovia, CA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Monrovia, CA versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $552 – making Monrovia, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

15:57 3:57 PM

3 h ahead of Monrovia, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,590

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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Highest

Between locations

Monrovia, CA New York, NY 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Monrovia, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,704 in Monrovia, CA, $4,938 in New York, NY – roughly 83% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,056 per month in Monrovia, CA 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 Monrovia, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Monrovia, CA and $120 in New York, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,704 in Monrovia, CA and $4,938 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,704 in Monrovia, CA to $4,938 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Monrovia, CA. 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.