Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Amherst, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Amherst, NY: $2,632 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, NY
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Amherst, NY Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Amherst, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,632 in Amherst, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Amherst, NY $2,632

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,868 in Amherst, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Amherst, NY $3,868

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,105 in Amherst, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Amherst, NY $5,105

New York, NY costs about 88% more than Amherst, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Amherst, NY sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Amherst, NY by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$17.80 $17.80

60.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$75.9 $75.9

56.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.19 $12.19

23.38%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.73 $5.73

13.96%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.75 $2.75

44.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.99 $1.99

51.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.84 $6.84

19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.64 $7.64

28.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.88 $0.88

55.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.41 $3.41

45.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.50 $4.50

73.56%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.95 $3.95

51.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.18 $11.18

69.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.04 $10.04

79.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$15.80 $15.80

20.57%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.80 $4.80

40.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.39 $1.39

63.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.53 $4.53

50.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.03 $5.03

40.95%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.67 $2.67

58.05%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.03 $3.03

53.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.40 $2.40

19.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.47 $2.47

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$15.03 $15.03

24.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.12 $15.12

33.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.04 $2.04

69.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.95 $3.95

1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.96 $1.96

48.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$68.4 $68.4

103.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.93 $3.93

-21.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.13 $2.13

-0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$29.94 $29.94

40.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.07 $1.07

9.35%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$30.6K $30.6K

12.52%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.98%

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

$219 $219

$233 $233

-5.98%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$51.9 $51.9

43.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$68.0 $68.0

3.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$40.93 $40.93

173.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$19.86 $19.86

276.94%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$13.12 $13.12

68.75%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,500 $1,500

137.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$17.5K $17.5K

254.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$52.2 $52.2

44.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$44.63 $44.63

14.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$97.0 $97.0

26.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$111 $111

25.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,569 $1,569

186.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,282 $1,282

140.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,547 $2,547

270.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,167 $2,167

139.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,686 $2,686

574.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,373 $2,373

182.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,120 $4,120

26.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.52

5.21%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Amherst, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Amherst, NY

$1.3K 48.7% 58.3% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Amherst, NY

$385 14.6% 31.6% $178

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Amherst, NY

$316 12% 28.2% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Amherst, NY

$353 13.4% 2.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Amherst, NY

$137 5.2% 21.7% $38

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Amherst, NY

$91 3.5% 44.7% $73

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Amherst, NY

$67 2.6% 57% $89

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,569 in Amherst, NY. 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 27% 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $76 in Amherst, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $385 – making Amherst, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Amherst, NY

🕒 Local time

12:09 12:09 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

37,819

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Amherst, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 88% more than Amherst, NY, 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 $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,948 in Amherst, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Amherst, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,569 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,500 in Amherst, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,632 in Amherst, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Amherst, NY – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Amherst, NY. 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.