Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnstable, MA: $2,398 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,500 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Barnstable, MA
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Barnstable, MA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Barnstable, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Barnstable, 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 Barnstable, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,398 in Barnstable, MA.

New York, NY $4,938
Barnstable, MA $2,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,546 in Barnstable, MA.

New York, NY $7,273
Barnstable, MA $3,546

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $4,695 in Barnstable, MA.

New York, NY $9,608
Barnstable, MA $4,695

Living in New York, NY is roughly 106% more expensive than in Barnstable, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Barnstable, MA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$18.23 $18.23

37.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$74.0 $74.0

62.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$10.08 $10.08

36.31%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$3.98 $3.98

65.83%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.12 $2.12

80.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.67 $1.67

71.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.15 $5.15

54.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$6.88 $6.88

46.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.04 $1.04

31.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.05 $3.05

55.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.10 $4.10

87.56%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.12 $4.12

42.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$6.43 $6.43

199.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$8.68 $8.68

105.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$8.65 $8.65

120.00%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.14 $4.14

61.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.80 $1.80

27.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.48 $4.48

43.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$3.61 $3.61

86.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.21 $2.21

77.83%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.14 $2.14

111.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.93 $1.93

44.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.44 $2.44

2.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$12.18 $12.18

48.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$12.75 $12.75

58.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.17 $2.17

50.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.00 $4.00

-6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.95 $1.95

49.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$34.68 $34.68

311.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.40 $3.40

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.75 $3.75

-42.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$25.52 $25.52

61.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.03 $1.03

8.74%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.3K $27.3K

21.21%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$24.4K $24.4K

5.56%

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

$219 $219

$101 $101

116.97%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$60.7 $60.7

24.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$63.8 $63.8

10.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$41.77 $41.77

176.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$24.38 $24.38

177.36%

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$13.74 $13.74

55.53%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,833 $1,833

87.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$29.7K $29.7K

107.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$55.9 $55.9

34.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$37.94 $37.94

37.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$80.0 $80.0

45.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$99.5 $99.5

35.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,579 $1,579

175.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,315 $1,315

137.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,496 $2,496

265.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,179 $2,179

146.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,718 $2,718

609.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,379 $2,379

191.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$4,584 $4,584

14.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.64

3.16%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Barnstable, MA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Barnstable, MA

$1.3K 54.8% 57.8% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Barnstable, MA

$322 13.4% 41.7% $230

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Barnstable, MA

$278 11.6% 31.6% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Barnstable, MA

$226 9.4% 38.2% $140

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Barnstable, MA

$123 5.1% 27.8% $47

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Barnstable, MA

$65 2.7% 61.6% $104

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Barnstable, MA

$69 2.9% 56.2% $89

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,579 in Barnstable, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 14% 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: $120 in New York, NY vs $74.0 in Barnstable, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $322 per month, with Barnstable, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Barnstable, MA

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

44,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 Barnstable, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Barnstable, MA differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($4,938 vs $2,398 including rent). Barnstable, MA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,579 in Barnstable, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Barnstable, MA runs roughly 311% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,432 in New York, NY versus $1,833 in Barnstable, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barnstable, MA 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 Barnstable, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.