Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Atlantic City, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Atlantic City, NJ: $2,815 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Atlantic City, NJ
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Atlantic City, NJ Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Atlantic City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Atlantic City, NJ

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 Atlantic City, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ.

New York, NY $4,906
Atlantic City, NJ $2,815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,199 in Atlantic City, NJ.

New York, NY $7,273
Atlantic City, NJ $4,199

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $5,583 in Atlantic City, NJ.

New York, NY $9,641
Atlantic City, NJ $5,583

Living in New York, NY is roughly 74% more expensive than in Atlantic City, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Atlantic City, NJ 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$19.66 $19.66

36.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$99.2 $99.2

17.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$11.30 $11.30

29.20%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.70 $5.70

14.74%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.26 $2.26

70.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.92 $1.92

53.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.83 $5.83

38.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$8.94 $8.94

10.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.20 $1.20

9.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.41 $3.41

45.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$7.17 $7.17

7.39%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$4.34 $4.34

40.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$11.03 $11.03

77.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$16.78 $16.78

4.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$20.36 $20.36

-0.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$7.74 $7.74

-9.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.81 $3.81

-41.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$5.44 $5.44

23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$6.11 $6.11

16.53%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.92 $3.92

17.60%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.69 $4.69

1.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.62 $2.62

9.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.43 $2.43

10.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$14.24 $14.24

34.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$13.36 $13.36

46.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.75 $2.75

20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.25 $3.25

28.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.95 $2.95

2.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$90.0 $90.0

54.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.94 $2.94

3.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.22 $2.22

-0.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$41.74 $41.74

-0.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.89 $0.89

26.97%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$20.3K $20.3K

69.88%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.7K $24.7K

4.81%

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

$232 $232

$223 $223

4.38%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$61.6 $61.6

15.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$61.2 $61.2

10.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$29.58 $29.58

290.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$50.8 $50.8

51.14%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$16.85 $16.85

33.00%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$494 $494

629.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$7,073 $7,073

871.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$69.9 $69.9

13.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$31.16 $31.16

64.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$117 $117

3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$120 $120

17.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,762 $1,762

158.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,323 $1,323

129.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,377 $2,377

309.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$2,132 $2,132

150.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$4,349 $4,349

319.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$4,265 $4,265

56.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$4,006 $4,006

27.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.78

1.62%

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 Atlantic City, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Atlantic City, NJ

$1.3K 47% 56.5% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Atlantic City, NJ

$492 17.5% 13.3% $75

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Atlantic City, NJ

$323 11.5% 23.9% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Atlantic City, NJ

$345 12.3% 6.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Atlantic City, NJ

$152 5.4% 13.7% $24

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Atlantic City, NJ

$116 4.1% 30% $50

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Atlantic City, NJ

$63 2.3% 60.5% $97

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,555 in New York, NY and $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 27% 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: $117 in New York, NY vs $99 in Atlantic City, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $492 per month, with Atlantic City, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

39,958

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 Atlantic City, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ, so Atlantic City, NJ is about 43% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Atlantic City, NJ – a meal for two runs $99 versus $117 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Atlantic City, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.