Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montgomery, AL and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Montgomery, AL: $2,354 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Montgomery, AL
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Montgomery, AL Living Index
239

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

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Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,354

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,354 in Montgomery, AL versus $4,950 in New York, NY.

Montgomery, AL $2,354
New York, NY $4,950

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,197 in Montgomery, AL versus $7,265 in New York, NY.

Montgomery, AL $3,197
New York, NY $7,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,039 in Montgomery, AL versus $9,581 in New York, NY.

Montgomery, AL $4,039
New York, NY $9,581

Living in Montgomery, AL costs roughly 52% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montgomery, AL 74% above, New York, NY 267% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.11 $16.11

$24.65 $24.65

-34.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$122 $122

-54.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 $10.30

$13.91 $13.91

-25.95%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$6.59 $6.59

-18.66%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$3.84 $3.84

-31.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.87 $2.87

-27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 $4.37

$7.79 $7.79

-43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$9.85 $9.85

-50.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.38 $1.38

-38.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$4.68 $4.68

-23.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$7.54 $7.54

-72.81%

Eggs

$3.14 $3.14

$5.93 $5.93

-47.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 $7.96

$18.83 $18.83

-57.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$17.36 $17.36

-57.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$18.51 $18.51

-22.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$6.74 $6.74

-40.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.09 $2.09

-38.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$6.07 $6.07

-67.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$6.74 $6.74

-38.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$4.05 $4.05

-23.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.37 $4.37

-39.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.89 $2.89

-27.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.60 $2.60

-16.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$18.72 $18.72

-52.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$20.06 $20.06

-24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.25 $3.25

-40.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.73 $3.73

3.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.06 $3.06

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.02 $45.02

$140 $140

-67.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.04 $3.04

-16.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.15 $2.15

-25.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.54 $25.54

$41.82 $41.82

-38.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.12 $1.12

-19.64%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

-10.50%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

-0.36%

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

$309 $309

$219 $219

41.18%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$73.2 $73.2

-30.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$72.0 $72.0

0.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.83 $37.83

$123 $123

-69.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.52 $28.52

$67.7 $67.7

-57.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 $9.81

$22.85 $22.85

-57.07%

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

$1,380 $1,380

$3,333 $3,333

-58.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K $13.7K

$60.0K $60.0K

-77.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.94 $48.94

$75.2 $75.2

-34.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.52 $35.52

$52.4 $52.4

-32.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$122 $122

-29.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 $96.5

$133 $133

-27.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$4,389 $4,389

-70.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 $1,084

$3,130 $3,130

-65.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$8,918 $8,918

-82.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 $1,455

$5,354 $5,354

-72.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,368 $1,368

$19.4K $19.4K

-92.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 $1,309

$6,806 $6,806

-80.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 $3,632

$5,343 $5,343

-32.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

6.82

-4.11%

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

Last update for Montgomery, AL: October 11, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montgomery, AL

$1.1K 46%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 189% $2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montgomery, AL

$432 18.4%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 15.8% $68

Groceries & Markets

Montgomery, AL

$322 13.7%

New York, NY

$545 11% 69.4% $223

Eating Out

Montgomery, AL

$274 11.7%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 47.1% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Montgomery, AL

$120 5.1%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 43.1% $52

Getting Around

Montgomery, AL

$64 2.7%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 161% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Montgomery, AL

$57 2.4%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 193% $111

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Montgomery, AL and $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 47% 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: $56.0 in Montgomery, AL vs $122 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $545 per month, with Montgomery, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

13:15 1:15 PM

14:15 2:15 PM

1 h ahead of Montgomery, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,603

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

Montgomery, AL New York, NY 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montgomery, AL
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

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

Montgomery, AL and New York, NY differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($2,354 vs $4,950 including rent). Montgomery, AL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% 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: $1,287 in Montgomery, AL versus $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montgomery, AL – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $122 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,354 per month in Montgomery, AL versus $4,950 in New York, NY – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,354 in Montgomery, AL versus $4,950 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Montgomery, AL but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Montgomery, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Montgomery, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.