Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Appleton, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Appleton, WI: $2,144 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Appleton, WI
Learn more

Appleton, WI Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,144 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Appleton, WI $2,144

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,066 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Appleton, WI $3,066

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $3,988 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Appleton, WI $3,988

New York, NY costs about 129% more than Appleton, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Appleton, WI sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Appleton, WI by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$17.87 $17.87

50.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$64.1 $64.1

82.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$10.92 $10.92

33.70%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.50 $5.50

18.91%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.64 $2.64

46.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.23 $2.23

32.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$4.52 $4.52

78.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$6.18 $6.18

59.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.01 $1.01

29.70%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.01 $3.01

65.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$5.18 $5.18

48.65%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$4.73 $4.73

28.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$13.46 $13.46

45.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$8.31 $8.31

111.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$15.28 $15.28

32.59%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.01 $5.01

39.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.36 $1.36

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$3.10 $3.10

116.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.48 $4.48

58.93%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.05 $2.05

124.88%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.68 $2.68

78.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.07 $2.07

38.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.98 $2.98

-9.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$10.91 $10.91

75.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.18 $15.18

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.77 $1.77

87.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.34 $3.34

25.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.96 $1.96

54.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$60.1 $60.1

131.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.27 $3.27

-7.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.70 $1.70

29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$24.93 $24.93

65.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.02 $1.02

10.78%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$35.4K $35.4K

-2.64%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.83%

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

$232 $232

$173 $173

34.15%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$44.76 $44.76

58.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$60.5 $60.5

11.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$15.16 $15.16

661.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$41.00 $41.00

87.34%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$14.64 $14.64

53.07%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,825 $1,825

97.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$10.3K $10.3K

564.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$40.75 $40.75

94.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$24.68 $24.68

108.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$50.2 $50.2

141.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$108 $108

30.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,337 $1,337

240.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$967 $967

214.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,394 $2,394

306.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,374 $1,374

287.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,423 $2,423

652.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$2,038 $2,038

228.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$4,160 $4,160

22.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.37

8.16%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Appleton, WI: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Appleton, WI

$967 45.1% 68.2% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Appleton, WI

$377 17.6% 33.5% $190

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Appleton, WI

$296 13.8% 30.3% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Appleton, WI

$278 13% 25% $93

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Appleton, WI

$101 4.7% 43% $76

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Appleton, WI

$80 3.7% 51.8% $86

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Appleton, WI

$44 2.1% 72.3% $116

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,337 in Appleton, WI. 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 23% 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 $117 in New York, NY versus $64 in Appleton, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $377 – making Appleton, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Appleton, WI

🕒 Local time

21:30 9:30 PM

20:30 8:30 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

74,139

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Appleton, WI 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Appleton, WI

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 Appleton, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 129%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $3,216 in Appleton, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Appleton, WI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,337 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,144 in Appleton, WI. That makes Appleton, WI about 56% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Appleton, WI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Appleton, WI, where all-in costs run around $2,144, than in New York, NY at $4,906. In Appleton, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Appleton, WI – 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 Appleton, WI. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.