Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Bellingham, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bellingham, WA: $3,010 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 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
145

Cost of Living Index in Bellingham, WA
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Bellingham, WA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Bellingham, WA

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 Bellingham, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Bellingham, WA $3,010

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,448 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Bellingham, WA $4,448

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,886 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Bellingham, WA $5,886

New York, NY costs about 64% more than Bellingham, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Bellingham, WA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Bellingham, WA by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$24.70 $24.70

15.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$101 $101

17.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$13.26 $13.26

13.42%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.94 $5.94

9.93%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.16 $3.16

25.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.19 $2.19

37.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.87 $6.87

18.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$6.90 $6.90

42.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.13 $1.13

21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.82 $3.82

30.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.91 $4.91

59.06%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.96 $4.96

20.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$18.80 $18.80

0.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$18.61 $18.61

-3.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$23.00 $23.00

-17.17%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.14 $5.14

31.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.89 $1.89

20.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.32 $5.32

28.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.32 $6.32

12.18%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.61 $3.61

16.90%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.16 $3.16

47.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.55 $2.55

12.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.47 $2.47

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.44 $12.44

50.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.95 $14.95

34.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.76 $1.76

96.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$5.74 $5.74

-29.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.99 $1.99

46.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$30.51 $30.51

355.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.68 $2.68

14.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.70 $1.70

24.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$30.27 $30.27

38.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.44 $1.44

-18.75%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.5K $27.5K

25.33%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.7K $25.7K

0.52%

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

$219 $219

$217 $217

1.06%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$57.4 $57.4

29.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$81.3 $81.3

-13.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$62.0 $62.0

80.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$14.82 $14.82

405.13%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$18.31 $18.31

20.92%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,125 $1,125

216.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$31.7K $31.7K

96.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$80.5 $80.5

-6.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$28.32 $28.32

80.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$109 $109

13.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$149 $149

-6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,707 $1,707

163.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,458 $1,458

111.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,598 $2,598

263.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,347 $2,347

121.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$4,441 $4,441

307.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$3,925 $3,925

70.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,391 $4,391

18.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.68

2.69%

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 Bellingham, WA: 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%

Bellingham, WA

$1.5K 48.4% 52.6% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Bellingham, WA

$505 16.8% 10.4% $58

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Bellingham, WA

$378 12.6% 14.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Bellingham, WA

$356 11.8% 2.2% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Bellingham, WA

$165 5.5% 5.8% $10

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Bellingham, WA

$50 1.7% 69.8% $115

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Bellingham, WA

$99 3.3% 36.9% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,707 in Bellingham, WA. 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 19% 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $101 in Bellingham, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $505 – making Bellingham, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Bellingham, WA

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

91,482

💱 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 Bellingham, WA 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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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 Bellingham, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 64% more than Bellingham, WA, 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 $4,515 in Bellingham, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bellingham, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,707 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,125 in Bellingham, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,010 in Bellingham, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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