Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Acton, MA: $3,193 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 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
154

Cost of Living Index in Acton, MA
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Acton, MA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Acton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Acton, MA

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 Acton, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $3,193 in Acton, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
Acton, MA $3,193

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $4,790 in Acton, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
Acton, MA $4,790

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $6,388 in Acton, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
Acton, MA $6,388

New York, NY costs about 55% more than Acton, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Acton, MA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 267%, Acton, MA by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$18.14 $18.14

35.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$95.9 $95.9

26.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$13.47 $13.47

3.27%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.44 $5.44

21.14%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.82 $2.82

36.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.70 $2.70

6.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.08 $5.08

53.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.81 $7.81

26.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.95 $0.95

45.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.29 $2.29

104.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$5.28 $5.28

42.80%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$4.79 $4.79

23.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$11.13 $11.13

69.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$14.57 $14.57

19.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$17.87 $17.87

3.58%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.46 $4.46

51.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.72 $1.72

21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.85 $2.85

112.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.07 $4.07

65.60%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$1.93 $1.93

109.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.83 $2.83

54.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.93 $1.93

49.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.62 $13.62

37.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$9.12 $9.12

119.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.18 $2.18

49.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.28 $4.28

-12.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.93 $0.93

20.43%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$36.7K $36.7K

-3.50%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.06%

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

$219 $219

$316 $316

-30.72%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$60.8 $60.8

20.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$73.4 $73.4

-1.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$24.68 $24.68

397.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$12.91 $12.91

76.99%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$1,857 $1,857

79.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$29.9K $29.9K

100.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$57.5 $57.5

30.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$38.97 $38.97

34.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$80.7 $80.7

50.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$102 $102

30.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$2,698 $2,698

62.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,898 $1,898

64.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$2,948 $2,948

202.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$3,557 $3,557

50.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$9,016 $9,016

-40.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.64

2.71%

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

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

Last update for Acton, MA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Acton, MA

$1.9K 59.5% 39.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Acton, MA

$354 * 11.1% 35.1% $191

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Acton, MA

$314 9.8% 22.2% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Acton, MA

$450 14.1% 23.6% $86

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Acton, MA

$126 3.9% 27% $46

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Acton, MA

$51 1.6% 70% $118

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Acton, MA

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $2,698 in Acton, MA. 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 69% higher in Acton, MA, 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 $122 in New York, NY versus $96.0 in Acton, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $354 – making Acton, MA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Acton, MA

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

7,596

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Acton, MA 310 km

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

New York, NY costs about 55% more than Acton, MA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $4,789 in Acton, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acton, MA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,950 in New York, NY and $3,193 in Acton, MA. That's a gap of about 55%.

Kindergarten costs $3,333 per month in New York, NY and $1,857 in Acton, MA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,950 in New York, NY and $3,193 in Acton, MA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Acton, MA costs $3,193 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Acton, 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.