Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mountain View, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Mountain View, CA: $4,650 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. The total is higher in New York, NY despite lower rent and utilities.

227

Cost of Living Index in Mountain View, CA
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Mountain View, 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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Mountain View, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,650

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,650 per month in Mountain View, CA vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Mountain View, CA $4,650
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $6,615 per month in Mountain View, CA vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Mountain View, CA $6,615
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $8,580 per month in Mountain View, CA vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Mountain View, CA $8,580
New York, NY $9,509

Mountain View, CA is about 6% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mountain View, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Mountain View, CA by 242%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 $20.34

$28.55 $28.55

-28.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$118 $118

-14.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 $11.96

$15.04 $15.04

-20.48%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$6.53 $6.53

-20.21%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$3.96 $3.96

-31.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.01 $3.01

-9.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 $7.15

$8.16 $8.16

-12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.99 $9.99

$9.84 $9.84

1.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.37 $1.37

-7.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$4.97 $4.97

-15.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$7.81 $7.81

-40.08%

Eggs

$5.52 $5.52

$5.97 $5.97

-7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 $16.21

$18.91 $18.91

-14.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 $11.71

$18.04 $18.04

-35.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$19.05 $19.05

-31.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.76 $6.76

-20.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.27 $2.27

-17.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$6.83 $6.83

-35.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.69 $5.69

$7.09 $7.09

-19.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.22 $4.22

-6.64%

Onion (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.65 $4.65

21.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.87 $2.87

-15.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.60 $2.60

0.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$18.77 $18.77

-38.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 $12.92

$20.13 $20.13

-35.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.45 $3.45

-37.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$4.02 $4.02

-39.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.91 $2.91

-15.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 $88.6

$139 $139

-36.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.08 $3.08

26.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.12 $2.12

129.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.17 $1.17

34.19%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.5K $34.5K

-20.99%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.71%

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

$288 $288

$219 $219

31.45%

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

$44.81 $44.81

$74.2 $74.2

-39.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 $63.9

$70.2 $70.2

-9.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 $78.6

$112 $112

-29.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 $11.81

$74.9 $74.9

-84.22%

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 $17.10

$22.14 $22.14

-22.76%

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

$2,141 $2,141

$3,558 $3,558

-39.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$62.2K $62.2K

-62.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$75.6 $75.6

-30.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$99.5 $99.5

$51.2 $51.2

94.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 $151

$123 $123

22.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$140 $140

6.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,529 $3,529

$4,499 $4,499

-21.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 $3,039

$3,078 $3,078

-1.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,702 $4,702

$9,447 $9,447

-50.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,009 $5,009

$5,190 $5,190

-3.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K $11.9K

$18.1K $18.1K

-34.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.1K $10.1K

$6,693 $6,693

50.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,788 $9,788

$5,220 $5,220

87.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.14

6.86

-10.50%

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

Last update for Mountain View, CA: October 24, 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

Mountain View, CA

$3K 65.4%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 1.3% $39

Groceries & Markets

Mountain View, CA

$432 9.3%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 30.4% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mountain View, CA

$397 8.5%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 8.4% $33

Eating Out

Mountain View, CA

$339 7.3%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 30% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Mountain View, CA

$203 4.4%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 13.8% $28

Getting Around

Mountain View, CA

$127 2.7%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 29.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Mountain View, CA

$113 2.4%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 38.5% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,529 in Mountain View, CA versus $4,499 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 88% higher in Mountain View, CA, 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 $101 in Mountain View, CA versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $432 vs $563 – making Mountain View, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mountain View, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

20:08 8:08 PM

23:08 11:08 PM

3 h ahead of Mountain View, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,739

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mountain View, CA New York, NY 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mountain View, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,650 in Mountain View, CA, $4,941 in New York, NY – Mountain View, CA comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,974 per month in Mountain View, CA and $7,412 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 Mountain View, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $3,529 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $2,141 per month in Mountain View, CA and $3,558 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $4,650 in Mountain View, CA to $4,941 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Mountain View, CA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 6% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.