Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Albert Lea, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Albert Lea, MN: $1,944 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $35,900 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
95

Cost of Living Index in Albert Lea, MN
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Albert Lea, MN Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Albert Lea, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Albert Lea, MN

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 Albert Lea, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN.

New York, NY $4,938
Albert Lea, MN $1,944

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $2,969 in Albert Lea, MN.

New York, NY $7,273
Albert Lea, MN $2,969

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $3,995 in Albert Lea, MN.

New York, NY $9,608
Albert Lea, MN $3,995

Living in New York, NY is roughly 154% more expensive than in Albert Lea, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Albert Lea, MN 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$20.02 $20.02

24.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$102 $102

18.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$11.92 $11.92

15.27%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$6.29 $6.29

4.93%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.06 $3.06

24.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.56 $2.56

12.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$4.88 $4.88

62.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$5.69 $5.69

76.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.92 $0.92

48.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.93 $2.93

62.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$2.17 $2.17

254.38%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.90 $3.90

50.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$8.84 $8.84

117.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$16.56 $16.56

7.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$18.96 $18.96

0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.40 $5.40

23.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.50 $1.50

52.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.89 $4.89

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$3.72 $3.72

81.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.73 $2.73

43.96%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.22 $2.22

103.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.70 $2.70

3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.30 $2.30

9.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$9.92 $9.92

82.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.24 $15.24

32.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.74 $1.74

87.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.39 $3.39

10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.09 $2.09

39.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.95 $1.95

56.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.28 $1.28

68.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$20.31 $20.31

103.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.94 $0.94

19.15%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

24.20%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.47%

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

$219 $219

$185 $185

18.77%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$53.4 $53.4

41.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$79.6 $79.6

-11.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$39.66 $39.66

191.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$9.82 $9.82

117.62%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,350 $1,350

154.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$11.9K $11.9K

416.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$45.76 $45.76

63.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$24.54 $24.54

112.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$50.6 $50.6

130.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$59.6 $59.6

125.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,030 $1,030

322.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$739 $739

321.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$1,586 $1,586

474.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,188 $1,188

352.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,942 $2,942

555.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,028 $2,028

242.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$2,957 $2,957

77.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Albert Lea, MN: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Albert Lea, MN

$739 38% 76.3% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Albert Lea, MN

$400 20.6% 27.5% $152

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Albert Lea, MN

$330 17% 19% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Albert Lea, MN

$318 16.3% 13% $48

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Albert Lea, MN

$81 4.2% 52.3% $89

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Albert Lea, MN

$17 * 0.9% 90.1% $151

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Albert Lea, MN

$59 3.1% 62.5% $99

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 $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 77% 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: $120 in New York, NY vs $102 in Albert Lea, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $400 per month, with Albert Lea, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Albert Lea, MN

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

04:33 4:33 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

17,758

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Albert Lea, MN 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Albert Lea, MN

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 Albert Lea, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Albert Lea, MN differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($4,938 vs $1,944 including rent). Albert Lea, MN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% 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: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,432 in New York, NY versus $1,350 in Albert Lea, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Albert Lea, MN – a meal for two runs $102 versus $120 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN versus $4,938 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Albert Lea, MN but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Albert Lea, MN 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.

Safety-wise, New York, NY and Albert Lea, MN are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Albert Lea, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.