Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Altos

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $252 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $58,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$252

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $5,142 in New York, NY versus $252 in Altos.

New York, NY $5,142
Altos $252

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,455 in New York, NY versus $375 in Altos.

New York, NY $7,455
Altos $375

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,767 in New York, NY versus $498 in Altos.

New York, NY $9,767
Altos $498

Living in New York, NY is roughly 1938% more expensive than in Altos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: New York, NY is 284% above, Altos is 81% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

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

$3.84 $3.84

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$0.49 ₲2,760

167.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$0.85 ₲4,814

476.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$0.99 ₲5,610

623.23%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$1.89 ₲10.7K

213.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$6.08 ₲34.5K

213.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$3.53 ₲20.0K

392.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$5.42 ₲30.8K

249.45%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.34 ₲13.3K

197.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.27 ₲7,217

63.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$1.36 ₲7,738

348.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.85 ₲10.5K

275.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.17 ₲6,637

240.17%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.34 ₲7,629

231.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.21 ₲6,871

132.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.87 ₲4,924

188.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$0.96 ₲5,443

1907.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$7.89 ₲44.8K

149.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.69 ₲3,908

346.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$0.77 ₲4,370

377.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.38 ₲2,163

694.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$11.91 ₲67.6K

1071.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.68 ₲9,529

82.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.73 ₲4,140

191.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.18 ₲6,684

-5.93%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$19.0K ₲108.1M

83.71%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$23.2K ₲131.7M

9.46%

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

$217 $217

$35.18 ₲199.7K

518.22%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$7.84 ₲44.5K

844.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$14.12 ₲80.1K

413.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$3.49 ₲19.8K

539.54%

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

$3,425 $3,425

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$24.94 ₲141.6K

205.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$1,524 ₲8.6M

1172.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$1,014 ₲5.8M

566.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$507 ₲2.9M

943.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

-31.80%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Altos: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Altos

–

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Altos

–

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Altos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Altos

–

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Altos

–

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Altos

–

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Altos

–

Cost Breakdown

New York, NY pays 944% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇵🇾 Altos

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

4,763

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,676 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,361 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

PYG to USD in detail →

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Between locations

New York, NY Altos 7,530 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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New York, NY
Altos

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 Altos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 1938% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 944% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 256% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 1071% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $252 in Altos versus $5,142 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Altos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Altos 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 Altos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1938% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.