Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Ashburn, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashburn, VA: $3,317 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 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
160

Cost of Living Index in Ashburn, VA
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Ashburn, VA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,317

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $3,317 in Ashburn, VA.

New York, NY $4,941
Ashburn, VA $3,317

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $4,512 in Ashburn, VA.

New York, NY $7,225
Ashburn, VA $4,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $5,708 in Ashburn, VA.

New York, NY $9,509
Ashburn, VA $5,708

Living in New York, NY is roughly 49% more expensive than in Ashburn, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Ashburn, VA 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$24.82 $24.82

15.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$90.2 $90.2

31.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.86 $12.86

16.95%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.06 $6.06

7.76%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.97 $2.97

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.57 $2.57

17.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.07 $8.07

1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.93 $9.93

-0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.18 $1.18

16.10%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.01 $4.01

23.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.31 $5.31

47.08%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.53 $5.53

7.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$17.28 $17.28

9.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$15.58 $15.58

15.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$18.85 $18.85

1.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.40 $5.40

25.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.35 $2.35

-3.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$6.43 $6.43

6.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.88 $5.88

20.58%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.83 $2.83

49.12%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.76 $3.76

23.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.40 $2.40

19.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.73 $2.73

-4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.64 $9.64

94.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.74 $15.74

27.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.25 $2.25

53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.56 $4.56

-11.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.30 $2.30

26.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$70.7 $70.7

96.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.91 $2.91

5.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.48 $1.48

43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$22.07 $22.07

90.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.01 $1.01

15.84%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$35.5K $35.5K

-2.88%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.85%

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

$219 $219

$165 $165

33.09%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$66.5 $66.5

11.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$78.0 $78.0

-10.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$61.1 $61.1

83.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$11.98 $11.98

524.87%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$18.19 $18.19

21.72%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,610 $1,610

121.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$32.7K $32.7K

90.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$53.8 $53.8

40.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.28 $43.28

18.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$99.5 $99.5

23.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$124 $124

13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,010 $2,010

123.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,795 $1,795

71.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$4,037 $4,037

134.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,250 $2,250

130.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,996 $2,996

504.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$3,103 $3,103

115.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$7,539 $7,539

-30.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.82

0.59%

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 Ashburn, VA: 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%

Ashburn, VA

$1.8K 54.1% 41.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Ashburn, VA

$488 14.7% 13.3% $75

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Ashburn, VA

$392 11.8% 10.9% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Ashburn, VA

$309 9.3% 15% $54

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Ashburn, VA

$144 4.3% 17.8% $31

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Ashburn, VA

$90 2.7% 45.1% $74

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Ashburn, VA

$97 2.9% 37.6% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $2,010 in Ashburn, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashburn, VA pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $90 in Ashburn, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $488 per month, with Ashburn, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Ashburn, VA

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

43,511

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Ashburn, VA 330 km

From you

New York, NY
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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 Ashburn, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Ashburn, VA differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($4,941 vs $3,317 including rent). Ashburn, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in New York, NY. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,010 in Ashburn, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $1,610 in Ashburn, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Ashburn, VA 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 Ashburn, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.