Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Auburn, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Auburn, CA: $3,212 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 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
156

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, CA
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Auburn, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Auburn, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $3,212 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
Auburn, CA $3,212

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $4,620 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
Auburn, CA $4,620

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $6,027 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
Auburn, CA $6,027

New York, NY costs about 54% more than Auburn, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both New York, NY and Auburn, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 267%, Auburn, CA by 138%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$25.25 $25.25

-2.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$90.7 $90.7

33.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$11.92 $11.92

16.69%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.91 $4.91

34.22%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.54 $2.54

51.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.37 $2.37

21.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$4.86 $4.86

60.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.11 $7.11

38.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.23 $1.23

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.52 $4.52

3.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$8.21 $8.21

-8.16%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$3.17 $3.17

87.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$25.79 $25.79

-26.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$18.58 $18.58

-6.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$23.00 $23.00

-19.52%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$7.72 $7.72

-12.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.70 $1.70

22.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$8.51 $8.51

-28.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$6.78 $6.78

-0.59%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$5.10 $5.10

-20.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.06 $3.06

42.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.02 $2.02

43.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.27 $2.27

14.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.66 $11.66

60.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$15.24 $15.24

31.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.46 $1.46

122.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.02 $2.02

84.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.40 $3.40

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$88.2 $88.2

59.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.26 $3.26

-6.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.43 $2.43

-11.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$40.49 $40.49

3.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.22 $1.22

-8.20%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$32.8K $32.8K

7.98%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$24.5K $24.5K

6.29%

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

$219 $219

$189 $189

15.92%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$49.79 $49.79

47.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$66.7 $66.7

7.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$64.4 $64.4

90.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$15.10 $15.10

51.32%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$2,686 $2,686

24.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$5,939 $5,939

910.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$68.7 $68.7

9.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$46.74 $46.74

12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$110 $110

10.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$199 $199

-33.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$1,823 $1,823

140.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,591 $1,591

96.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$2,784 $2,784

220.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$2,344 $2,344

128.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$3,277 $3,277

492.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$2,675 $2,675

154.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$3,926 $3,926

36.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.77

0.74%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Auburn, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Auburn, CA

$1.6K 49.5% 49.2% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Auburn, CA

$558 17.4% 2.3% $13

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Auburn, CA

$355 11% 12.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Auburn, CA

$305 9.5% 16.1% $59

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Auburn, CA

$191 6% 11% $19

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Auburn, CA

$95 3% 43.8% $74

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Auburn, CA

$117 3.7% 29.6% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $1,823 in Auburn, CA. 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 36% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in New York, NY versus $91.0 in Auburn, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $545 in New York, NY vs $558 in Auburn, CA – so New York, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Auburn, CA

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

15:02 3:02 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

76,143

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Auburn, CA 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Auburn, CA

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 Auburn, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,950 in New York, NY, $3,212 in Auburn, CA – roughly 54% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $4,818 in Auburn, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Auburn, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,333 per month in New York, NY and $2,686 in Auburn, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in New York, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,950 in New York, NY and $3,212 in Auburn, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,212 in Auburn, CA to $4,950 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Auburn, CA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.