Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Arlington, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlington, TX: $2,449 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,900 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, TX
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Arlington, TX Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Arlington, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,449

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,449 in Arlington, TX.

New York, NY $4,941
Arlington, TX $2,449

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,598 in Arlington, TX.

New York, NY $7,225
Arlington, TX $3,598

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $4,747 in Arlington, TX.

New York, NY $9,509
Arlington, TX $4,747

Living in New York, NY is roughly 102% more expensive than in Arlington, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Arlington, TX 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$18.12 $18.12

57.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$51.6 $51.6

129.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.15 $10.15

48.18%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$4.77 $4.77

36.90%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.66 $2.66

48.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.26 $2.26

33.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.66 $5.66

44.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$6.44 $6.44

52.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.80 $0.80

71.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.64 $3.64

36.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.18 $5.18

50.77%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.53 $2.53

135.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.56 $10.56

79.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$12.61 $12.61

43.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$18.04 $18.04

5.60%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.56 $4.56

48.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.53 $2.53

-10.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.02 $5.02

36.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.89 $3.89

82.26%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.56 $2.56

64.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.02 $3.02

53.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.96 $1.96

46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.04 $2.04

27.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.22 $10.22

83.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$11.99 $11.99

67.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.10 $2.10

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.32 $3.32

21.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.03 $3.03

-3.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$110 $110

26.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.94 $2.94

4.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.76 $1.76

20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$23.66 $23.66

77.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.91 $0.91

28.57%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.6K $27.6K

24.86%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.26%

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

$219 $219

$211 $211

3.86%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$66.6 $66.6

11.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$65.4 $65.4

7.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$35.92 $35.92

211.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.80 $14.80

49.59%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,162 $1,162

206.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$28.2K $28.2K

120.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$60.3 $60.3

25.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$49.13 $49.13

4.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$84.8 $84.8

45.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$101 $101

37.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,150 $1,150

291.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,091 $1,091

182.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,181 $2,181

333.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,895 $1,895

173.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,320 $2,320

680.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,875 $1,875

256.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,854 $3,854

35.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.51

5.38%

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 Arlington, TX: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Arlington, TX

$1.1K 44.5% 64.6% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Arlington, TX

$389 15.9% 30.9% $174

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Arlington, TX

$293 12% 33.3% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Arlington, TX

$343 14% 5.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Arlington, TX

$133 5.4% 24.2% $42

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Arlington, TX

$134 5.5% 18.4% $30

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Arlington, TX

$66 2.7% 58.1% $91

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,150 in Arlington, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $52 in Arlington, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $389 per month, with Arlington, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Arlington, TX

🕒 Local time

20:09 8:09 PM

19:09 7:09 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

365,438

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Arlington, TX 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Arlington, TX

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 Arlington, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Arlington, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,150 in Arlington, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $2,449 in Arlington, TX – Arlington, TX is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Arlington, TX runs roughly 21% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Arlington, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Arlington, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.