Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Bedford, MA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in New Bedford, MA: $2,753 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in New Bedford, MA
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New Bedford, MA Living Index
239

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

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New Bedford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,753

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,753 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $2,753
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $3,820 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $3,820
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $4,887 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $4,887
New York, NY $9,608

New Bedford, MA is about 44% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New Bedford, MA and New York, NY sit above the global median – New Bedford, MA by 103%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.68 $19.68

$24.99 $24.99

-21.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$120 $120

-50.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 $5.95

$13.74 $13.74

-56.70%

Cappuccino

$4.11 $4.11

$6.60 $6.60

-37.73%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$3.82 $3.82

-39.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.87 $2.87

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$7.95 $7.95

-24.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$10.06 $10.06

-59.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.37 $1.37

-26.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.75 $4.75

-3.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$7.69 $7.69

111.44%

Eggs

$6.42 $6.42

$5.87 $5.87

9.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$19.25 $19.25

-45.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.74 $10.74

$17.83 $17.83

-39.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 $19.16

$19.03 $19.03

0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$6.69 $6.69

-19.58%

Banana (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.29 $2.29

95.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$6.41 $6.41

-47.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$6.75 $6.75

-55.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.93 $3.93

-43.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$4.52 $4.52

-46.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.79 $2.79

-1.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.51 $2.51

14.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.07 $13.07

$18.10 $18.10

-27.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.85 $16.85

$20.16 $20.16

-16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.26 $3.26

-41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$3.75 $3.75

-24.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.06 $3.06

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.16 $2.16

1.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$33.1K $33.1K

-14.94%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.35%

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

$181 $181

$219 $219

-17.37%

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

$36.85 $36.85

$75.3 $75.3

-51.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 $58.6

$70.5 $70.5

-16.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 $28.95

$116 $116

-74.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$12.43 $12.43

$21.37 $21.37

-41.83%

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

$2,133 $2,133

$3,432 $3,432

-37.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.67 $38.67

$74.9 $74.9

-48.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.01 $16.01

$52.1 $52.1

-69.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$117 $117

-14.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 $1,869

$4,347 $4,347

-57.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$3,117 $3,117

-49.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,615 $2,615

$9,110 $9,110

-71.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,341 $2,341

$5,379 $5,379

-56.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,641 $4,641

$5,238 $5,238

-11.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.42

6.85

-20.88%

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

Last update for New Bedford, MA: October 20, 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

New Bedford, MA

$1.6K 57.5%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 97.1% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

New Bedford, MA

$478 17.4%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 15.6% $74

Eating Out

New Bedford, MA

$277 10.1%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 46.9% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Bedford, MA

$277 10.1%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 32% $88

Clothing & Footwear

New Bedford, MA

$69 * 2.5%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 145% $101

Sport & Entertainment

New Bedford, MA

$54 2%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 194% $104

Getting Around

New Bedford, MA

$17 * 0.6%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 883% $151

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,869 in New Bedford, MA 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.

Salaries run about 13% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in New Bedford, MA versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $478 vs $552 – making New Bedford, MA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Bedford, MA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

Same time as New Bedford, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,538

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New Bedford, MA New York, NY 290 km

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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,753 in New Bedford, MA, $4,938 in New York, NY – roughly 79% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,130 per month in New Bedford, MA 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 New Bedford, MA, 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 $59.0 in New Bedford, MA 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 $2,753 in New Bedford, MA 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 $2,753 in New Bedford, MA to $4,938 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with New Bedford, MA. 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.