Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Austin, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, MN: $2,515 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,100 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Austin, MN
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Austin, MN Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Austin, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Austin, MN

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 Austin, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,515 in Austin, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Austin, MN $2,515

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,745 in Austin, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Austin, MN $3,745

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,975 in Austin, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Austin, MN $4,975

New York, NY costs about 96% more than Austin, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Austin, MN sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Austin, MN by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$19.88 $19.88

43.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$99.9 $99.9

18.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.20 $12.20

23.28%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$4.96 $4.96

31.65%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.98 $2.98

32.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.96 $1.96

53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.97 $4.97

64.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.86 $5.86

67.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.86 $0.86

59.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.97 $2.97

67.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$1.97 $1.97

296.45%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.66 $2.66

124.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.80 $9.80

92.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$6.46 $6.46

179.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.04 $19.04

0.05%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.42 $5.42

24.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.23 $1.23

84.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.65 $3.65

87.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$1.76 $1.76

302.84%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.45 $2.45

72.24%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.22 $2.22

109.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.53 $1.53

87.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.02 $2.02

28.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.73 $9.73

92.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$2.93 $2.93

587.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.68 $1.68

105.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.02 $3.02

33.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.29 $2.29

27.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$51.5 $51.5

169.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.94 $1.94

58.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.23 $1.23

72.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$20.27 $20.27

107.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.99 $0.99

18.18%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

28.81%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.1K $25.1K

2.87%

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

$219 $219

$185 $185

18.43%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$53.4 $53.4

39.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$77.7 $77.7

-9.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$42.15 $42.15

165.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$10.17 $10.17

117.70%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,306 $1,306

172.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$11.9K $11.9K

421.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$75.0 $75.0

0.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$54.0 $54.0

-5.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$105 $105

17.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$166 $166

-15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,471 $1,471

205.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,280 $1,280

140.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,519 $2,519

274.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,111 $2,111

145.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,819 $2,819

542.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,036 $2,036

228.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.57

4.41%

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 Austin, MN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Austin, MN

$1.3K 50.9% 58.4% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Austin, MN

$296 11.8% 47.4% $267

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Austin, MN

$312 12.4% 29.2% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Austin, MN

$316 12.6% 13% $47

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Austin, MN

$180 7.2% 2.5% $4.4

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Austin, MN

$69 2.7% 58.2% $96

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Austin, MN

$62 2.5% 60% $94

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,471 in Austin, MN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $100 in Austin, MN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $296 – making Austin, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Austin, MN

🕒 Local time

20:04 8:04 PM

19:04 7:04 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Austin, MN 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Austin, MN

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 Austin, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,773 in Austin, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Austin, MN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,471 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY and $100 in Austin, MN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,515 in Austin, MN. That makes Austin, MN about 49% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,515 in Austin, MN. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Austin, MN is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 49% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.