Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Ambato

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $52,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
Learn more

Ambato Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $605 in Ambato, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
Ambato $605

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $985 in Ambato, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
Ambato $985

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $1,364 in Ambato, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
Ambato $1,364

New York, NY costs about 718% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New York, NY sits 267% above the global median, while Ambato is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$3.46 $3.46

612.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$29.93 $29.93

306.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$5.32 $5.32

161.47%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$2.76 $2.76

138.77%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$0.82 $0.82

368.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$0.75 $0.75

282.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$1.96 $1.96

297.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$3.22 $3.22

205.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.98 $0.98

40.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$0.98 $0.98

377.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$1.57 $1.57

380.25%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$1.73 $1.73

242.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$5.42 $5.42

247.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$3.05 $3.05

469.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$3.93 $3.93

370.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$1.27 $1.27

430.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.88 $0.88

137.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$1.03 $1.03

489.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$1.03 $1.03

554.37%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$0.77 $0.77

425.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$0.99 $0.99

341.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$0.73 $0.73

295.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.03 $1.03

152.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$5.15 $5.15

263.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$8.78 $8.78

128.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.45 $1.45

124.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.81 $2.81

32.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$0.29 $0.29

955.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$14.21 $14.21

888.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.39 $1.39

118.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.12 $1.12

91.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$9.43 $9.43

343.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.86 $0.86

30.23%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$23.3K $23.3K

51.94%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

-7.49%

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

$219 $219

$39.20 $39.20

458.70%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$13.58 $13.58

438.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$26.39 $26.39

172.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$29.76 $29.76

312.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$4.39 $4.39

420.50%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$224 $224

1386.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$2,408 $2,408

2391.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$48.25 $48.25

55.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$35.22 $35.22

48.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$71.2 $71.2

70.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$55.5 $55.5

140.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$178 $178

2361.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$124 $124

2418.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$380 $380

2245.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$273 $273

1862.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$1,130 $1,130

1616.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$884 $884

669.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$679 $679

686.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

-24.22%

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 Ambato: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Ambato

$124 20.5% 96% $3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Ambato

$147 24.3% 73% $398

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Ambato

$99 16.4% 75.4% $304

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Ambato

$79 13.1% 78.3% $285

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Ambato

$95 15.6% 45% $78

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Ambato

$39 6.4% 77.1% $130

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Ambato

$22 3.7% 86.6% $144

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $178 in Ambato. 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 686% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in New York, NY versus $30.00 in Ambato. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $147 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇪🇨 Ambato

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

15:23 3:23 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

165,185

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Ambato 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Ambato

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 Ambato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 718% more than Ambato, 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 $908 in Ambato. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in New York, NY and $30.00 in Ambato. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,950 in New York, NY and $605 in Ambato. That's a gap of about 718%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 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 Ambato. 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.