Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Bethesda, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Bethesda, MD: $3,146 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 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
152

Cost of Living Index in Bethesda, MD
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Bethesda, MD Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Bethesda, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,146

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Bethesda, MD

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 Bethesda, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $3,146 in Bethesda, MD, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Bethesda, MD $3,146

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $4,946 in Bethesda, MD, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Bethesda, MD $4,946

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $6,745 in Bethesda, MD, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Bethesda, MD $6,745

New York, NY costs about 56% more than Bethesda, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Bethesda, MD sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Bethesda, MD by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$22.72 $22.72

18.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$99.6 $99.6

17.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$10.81 $10.81

35.06%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.61 $5.61

16.58%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$3.07 $3.07

25.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.43 $2.43

21.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$6.97 $6.97

15.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$9.20 $9.20

7.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.15 $1.15

13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.20 $4.20

18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$3.81 $3.81

102.10%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$4.71 $4.71

29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$16.97 $16.97

15.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$15.87 $15.87

10.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$22.91 $22.91

-11.57%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.46 $5.46

28.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.36 $1.36

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.22 $4.22

59.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.29 $4.29

65.97%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.14 $2.14

115.42%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.73 $2.73

75.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.34 $2.34

22.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.57 $2.57

4.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$9.60 $9.60

99.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$18.16 $18.16

8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.70 $1.70

95.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.91 $2.91

43.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.96 $2.96

2.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$100 $100

38.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.38 $4.38

-30.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.65 $1.65

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$32.93 $32.93

25.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.00 $1.00

13.00%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$22.9K $22.9K

50.70%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$23.9K $23.9K

7.98%

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

$232 $232

$165 $165

40.76%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$38.89 $38.89

82.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$61.7 $61.7

9.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$105 $105

9.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$30.33 $30.33

153.25%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$16.08 $16.08

39.37%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,867 $1,867

93.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$23.6K $23.6K

191.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$56.4 $56.4

40.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$56.0 $56.0

-8.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$103 $103

17.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$149 $149

-6.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$2,302 $2,302

97.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,634 $1,634

86.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$4,088 $4,088

138.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$3,226 $3,226

65.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$5,869 $5,869

210.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$5,382 $5,382

24.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$8,578 $8,578

-40.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.86

0.44%

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 Bethesda, MD: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Bethesda, MD

$1.6K 51.9% 46.3% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Bethesda, MD

$463 14.7% 18.4% $104

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Bethesda, MD

$357 11.3% 16.1% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Bethesda, MD

$266 8.4% 28.4% $105

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Bethesda, MD

$164 5.2% 6.9% $12

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Bethesda, MD

$125 4% 24.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Bethesda, MD

$138 4.4% 14.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $2,302 in Bethesda, MD. 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 68% higher in Bethesda, MD, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $100 in Bethesda, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $463 – making Bethesda, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Bethesda, MD

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

60,858

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Bethesda, MD 310 km

From you

New York, NY
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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 Bethesda, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $4,720 in Bethesda, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bethesda, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,302 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY and $100 in Bethesda, MD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $3,146 in Bethesda, MD. That makes Bethesda, MD about 36% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,906 in New York, NY and $3,146 in Bethesda, MD. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Bethesda, MD is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 36% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.