Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Abilene, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Abilene, TX: $2,314 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
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Abilene, TX Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Abilene, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Abilene, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,314 in Abilene, TX.

New York, NY $4,941
Abilene, TX $2,314

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,215 in Abilene, TX.

New York, NY $7,225
Abilene, TX $3,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $4,115 in Abilene, TX.

New York, NY $9,509
Abilene, TX $4,115

Living in New York, NY is roughly 114% more expensive than in Abilene, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Abilene, TX 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$17.87 $17.87

59.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$66.2 $66.2

79.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$8.81 $8.81

70.72%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.52 $5.52

18.30%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.42 $2.42

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.87 $1.87

60.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.90 $4.90

66.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.57 $5.57

76.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.03 $1.03

33.01%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.40 $2.40

107.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.68 $5.68

37.50%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.74 $3.74

59.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.68 $8.68

117.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$13.02 $13.02

38.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$14.43 $14.43

32.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$3.32 $3.32

103.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.03 $1.03

120.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.78 $4.78

42.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.41 $5.41

31.05%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.25 $4.25

-0.71%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.58 $3.58

29.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.42 $2.42

18.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.95 $1.95

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.91 $8.91

110.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$11.28 $11.28

78.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.61 $2.61

32.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.88 $3.88

3.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.72 $1.72

69.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$53.1 $53.1

161.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$15.20 $15.20

176.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.90 $0.90

30.00%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$22.9K $22.9K

50.79%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.16%

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

$219 $219

$239 $239

-8.25%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$57.6 $57.6

28.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$63.0 $63.0

11.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$16.81 $16.81

565.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$12.08 $12.08

83.28%

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

$3,558 $3,558

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$43.00 $43.00

75.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$20.34 $20.34

151.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$62.7 $62.7

96.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$65.8 $65.8

112.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,000 $1,000

349.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,106 $1,106

178.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,309 $1,309

621.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,537 $1,537

237.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,109 $2,109

758.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,716 $1,716

290.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,448 $3,448

51.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.49

5.70%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Abilene, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Abilene, TX

$1.1K 47.8% 64.1% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Abilene, TX

$372 16.1% 34% $191

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Abilene, TX

$288 12.5% 34.5% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Abilene, TX

$360 15.6% 1.1% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Abilene, TX

$86 3.7% 50.8% $89

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Abilene, TX

$60 * 2.6% 63.5% $104

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Abilene, TX

$41 1.8% 73.8% $115

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 $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,000 in Abilene, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 51% 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $66 in Abilene, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $372 per month, with Abilene, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

03:21 3:21 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

125,182

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Abilene, TX 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Abilene, TX

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,314 in Abilene, TX, so Abilene, TX is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% higher in New York, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,000 in Abilene, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Abilene, TX – a meal for two runs $66 versus $118 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Abilene, TX runs roughly 62% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,314 in Abilene, TX versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Abilene, TX but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Abilene, TX 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 Abilene, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.