Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Arecibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Arecibo: $1,279 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $43,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Arecibo
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Arecibo Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Arecibo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,279

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $1,279 in Arecibo.

New York, NY $4,906
Arecibo $1,279

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $2,010 in Arecibo.

New York, NY $7,273
Arecibo $2,010

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $2,740 in Arecibo.

New York, NY $9,641
Arecibo $2,740

Living in New York, NY is roughly 284% more expensive than in Arecibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: New York, NY is 263% above, Arecibo is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$11.89 $11.89

126.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$83.9 $83.9

39.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$8.42 $8.42

73.40%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$3.52 $3.52

85.80%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$1.83 $1.83

110.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.49 $1.49

97.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$3.04 $3.04

165.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$5.13 $5.13

92.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.85 $1.85

-29.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.34 $3.34

48.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$2.03 $2.03

279.31%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$4.56 $4.56

33.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$12.49 $12.49

56.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$9.59 $9.59

83.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$13.33 $13.33

51.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.01 $5.01

39.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.63 $2.63

-15.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.82 $4.82

39.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.79 $4.79

48.64%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.73 $3.73

23.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.90 $3.90

22.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.35 $3.35

-14.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.66 $1.66

62.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$12.15 $12.15

57.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.65 $15.65

25.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.01 $3.01

10.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.05 $4.05

3.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$39.94 $39.94

248.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.55 $2.55

19.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.46 $1.46

50.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$42.11 $42.11

-1.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.91 $0.91

24.18%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.4K $34.4K

0.14%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

-6.41%

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

$232 $232

$324 $324

-28.37%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$68.6 $68.6

3.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$66.2 $66.2

2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$10.34 $10.34

116.73%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$832 $832

333.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$12.1K $12.1K

466.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$56.4 $56.4

40.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$61.5 $61.5

-16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$110 $110

10.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$114 $114

22.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$1,211 $1,211

320.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.55

5.19%

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 Arecibo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Arecibo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Arecibo

$394 30.8% 30.5% $173

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Arecibo

$201 15.8% 52.6% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Arecibo

$459 35.9% 23.7% $88

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Arecibo

$154 12% 12.9% $23

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Arecibo

$50 * 3.9% 69.9% $116

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Arecibo

$21 * 1.6% 87.1% $140

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

New York, NY pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $117 in New York, NY vs $84 in Arecibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $394 per month, with Arecibo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇵🇷 Arecibo

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

12:58 12:58 PM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

39,634

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Arecibo 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Arecibo

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 Arecibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arecibo is about 74% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in New York, NY is about 4.2 times higher, 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 44% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Arecibo – a meal for two runs $84 versus $117 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,279 in Arecibo versus $4,906 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arecibo but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Arecibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Arecibo wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.