Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Alexandria, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria, MN: $2,163 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,300 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, MN
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Alexandria, MN Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Alexandria, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,163

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,163 in Alexandria, MN.

New York, NY $4,938
Alexandria, MN $2,163

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,319 in Alexandria, MN.

New York, NY $7,273
Alexandria, MN $3,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $4,476 in Alexandria, MN.

New York, NY $9,608
Alexandria, MN $4,476

Living in New York, NY is roughly 128% more expensive than in Alexandria, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Alexandria, MN 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$15.29 $15.29

63.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$59.4 $59.4

102.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$9.91 $9.91

38.65%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.17 $5.17

27.66%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.01 $2.01

90.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.01 $2.01

42.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.34 $5.34

48.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.35 $7.35

36.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.90 $0.90

52.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.23 $3.23

47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$3.41 $3.41

125.51%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.06 $3.06

91.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$9.78 $9.78

96.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$9.38 $9.38

90.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$13.19 $13.19

44.28%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.98 $4.98

34.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.12 $1.12

104.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$6.21 $6.21

3.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.10 $5.10

32.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.92 $3.92

0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.45 $3.45

31.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.98 $1.98

40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.76 $1.76

42.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$13.13 $13.13

37.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$14.66 $14.66

37.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.72 $1.72

89.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.53 $3.53

6.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$125 $125

14.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.56 $2.56

19.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.61 $1.61

34.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$30.89 $30.89

33.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.02 $1.02

9.80%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.2K $27.2K

21.76%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

0.02%

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

$219 $219

$230 $230

-4.59%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$50.8 $50.8

48.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$64.6 $64.6

9.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$75.6 $75.6

52.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$49.63 $49.63

36.25%

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$9.86 $9.86

116.73%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,009 $1,009

240.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$27.6K $27.6K

123.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$24.63 $24.63

204.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$24.54 $24.54

112.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$49.14 $49.14

137.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$59.3 $59.3

127.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,128 $1,128

285.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$887 $887

251.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,091 $2,091

335.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,749 $1,749

207.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,843 $2,843

578.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,764 $2,764

151.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$3,362 $3,362

55.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.31

8.56%

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 Alexandria, 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%

Alexandria, MN

$887 41% 71.5% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Alexandria, MN

$358 16.5% 35.2% $195

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Alexandria, MN

$272 12.6% 33.3% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Alexandria, MN

$345 16% 5.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Alexandria, MN

$71 3.3% 58.3% $99

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Alexandria, MN

$136 * 6.3% 19.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Alexandria, MN

$95 4.4% 39.8% $63

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 $1,128 in Alexandria, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 56% 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 $59.0 in Alexandria, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $358 per month, with Alexandria, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Alexandria, MN

🕒 Local time

02:29 2:29 AM

01:29 1:29 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

160,035

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Alexandria, MN 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Alexandria, 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 Alexandria, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 128% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria, MN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 56% 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 $1,128 in Alexandria, 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 $1,009 in Alexandria, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,163 in Alexandria, MN versus $4,938 in New York, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria, MN but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria, MN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandria, MN delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,163 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria, MN hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Alexandria, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.