Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Alpharetta, GA

For one person, living is cheaper in Alpharetta, GA: $3,015 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 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
149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Alpharetta, GA

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 Alpharetta, GA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,950 in New York, NY versus $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA.

New York, NY $4,950
Alpharetta, GA $3,015

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,265 in New York, NY versus $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA.

New York, NY $7,265
Alpharetta, GA $4,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,581 in New York, NY versus $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA.

New York, NY $9,581
Alpharetta, GA $5,822

Living in New York, NY is roughly 64% more expensive than in Alpharetta, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 267% above, Alpharetta, GA 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$25.92 $25.92

-4.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$81.2 $81.2

49.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$9.82 $9.82

41.65%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.87 $4.87

35.32%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.52 $2.52

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.11 $2.11

36.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.78 $5.78

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.40 $7.40

33.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.93 $0.93

48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.25 $4.25

10.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$5.73 $5.73

31.59%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$4.58 $4.58

29.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$11.41 $11.41

65.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$8.73 $8.73

98.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$20.39 $20.39

-9.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.61 $4.61

46.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.14 $2.14

-2.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.23 $4.23

43.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.41 $4.41

52.83%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.65 $3.65

10.96%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.71 $3.71

17.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.39 $2.39

20.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.77 $2.77

-6.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.94 $8.94

109.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$14.79 $14.79

35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.72 $1.72

88.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.92 $3.92

-4.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.94 $2.94

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$94.2 $94.2

49.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.08 $3.08

-1.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.37 $2.37

-9.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$40.78 $40.78

2.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.90 $0.90

24.44%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$32.5K $32.5K

9.23%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.92%

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

$219 $219

$252 $252

-13.08%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$53.7 $53.7

36.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$87.4 $87.4

-17.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$34.02 $34.02

260.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$22.25 $22.25

204.13%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$16.81 $16.81

35.93%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$1,298 $1,298

156.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$16.0K $16.0K

273.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$77.0 $77.0

-2.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$44.98 $44.98

16.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$128 $128

-4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$139 $139

-4.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$2,105 $2,105

108.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,488 $1,488

110.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$3,000 $3,000

197.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$2,491 $2,491

114.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$7,659 $7,659

153.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$5,366 $5,366

26.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$6,390 $6,390

-16.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.84

-0.29%

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 Alpharetta, GA: 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%

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3% 52.5% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7% 24% $131

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9% 11.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13% 7.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8% 1.6% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2% 59.8% $101

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4% 27.4% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,389 in New York, NY and $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $122 in New York, NY vs $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $414 per month, with Alpharetta, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

65,799

💱 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 Alpharetta, GA 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Alpharetta, GA

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 Alpharetta, GA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alpharetta, GA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Alpharetta, GA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,389 in New York, NY versus $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alpharetta, GA runs roughly 49% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,333 in New York, NY versus $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Alpharetta, GA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Alpharetta, GA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Alpharetta, GA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.