Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Ashland, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashland, MA: $3,638 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 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
176

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, MA
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Ashland, MA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Ashland, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,638 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Ashland, MA $3,638

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,720 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Ashland, MA $4,720

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,802 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Ashland, MA $5,802

New York, NY costs about 36% more than Ashland, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Ashland, MA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Ashland, MA by 167%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$19.79 $19.79

44.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$76.3 $76.3

55.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$13.21 $13.21

13.85%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.06 $5.06

29.05%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.87 $2.87

37.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.43 $2.43

23.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.98 $5.98

36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.04 $9.04

8.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.06 $1.06

29.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.46 $4.46

11.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$16.37 $16.37

-52.29%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.96 $5.96

0.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$17.97 $17.97

5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.73 $10.73

68.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$18.82 $18.82

1.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.52 $5.52

22.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$4.29 $4.29

-47.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.25 $3.25

110.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.11 $3.11

127.97%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.18 $2.18

93.58%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.40 $2.40

93.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.62 $2.62

9.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.85 $2.85

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.66 $13.66

37.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$17.34 $17.34

16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.89 $1.89

82.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.72 $2.72

47.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.89 $5.89

-47.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

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

$28.2K $28.2K

22.08%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.88%

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

$219 $219

$180 $180

22.19%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$37.13 $37.13

99.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$59.1 $59.1

18.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$76.1 $76.1

47.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$44.12 $44.12

69.67%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$12.37 $12.37

78.98%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,104 $2,104

69.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$38.59 $38.59

95.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$16.15 $16.15

217.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$101 $101

21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$101 $101

37.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,102 $2,102

114.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,316 $2,316

32.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,877 $2,877

228.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,820 $2,820

84.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$5,069 $5,069

257.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$4,390 $4,390

52.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$7,849 $7,849

-33.49%

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 Ashland, MA: 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%

Ashland, MA

$2.3K 63.7% 24.8% $763

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Ashland, MA

$496 13.6% 11.9% $67

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Ashland, MA

$328 9% 25.5% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Ashland, MA

$276 7.6% 24.2% $88

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Ashland, MA

$116 3.2% 33.9% $60

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Ashland, MA

$5.9 * 0.2% 96.4% $158

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Ashland, MA

$101 2.8% 35.5% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,102 in Ashland, MA. 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 50% higher in Ashland, MA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $76 in Ashland, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $496 – making Ashland, MA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Ashland, MA

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

21,684

💱 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 Ashland, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 36% more than Ashland, MA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $5,457 in Ashland, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ashland, MA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,102 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,638 in Ashland, MA. That’s a gap of about 36%.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $2,104 in Ashland, MA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,638 in Ashland, MA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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