Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Bismarck, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Bismarck, ND: $2,355 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
Learn more

Bismarck, ND Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Bismarck, ND

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 Bismarck, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $2,355 in Bismarck, ND.

New York, NY $4,906
Bismarck, ND $2,355

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,453 in Bismarck, ND.

New York, NY $7,273
Bismarck, ND $3,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $4,551 in Bismarck, ND.

New York, NY $9,641
Bismarck, ND $4,551

Living in New York, NY is roughly 108% more expensive than in Bismarck, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Bismarck, ND 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$29.75 $29.75

-9.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$69.5 $69.5

67.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$17.29 $17.29

-15.56%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$6.16 $6.16

6.17%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.60 $2.60

48.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.80 $1.80

63.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.45 $5.45

48.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$6.95 $6.95

41.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.00 $1.00

31.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.59 $2.59

91.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$2.13 $2.13

261.50%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$2.68 $2.68

127.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$7.87 $7.87

148.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$12.98 $12.98

35.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$16.16 $16.16

25.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$3.48 $3.48

100.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.72 $1.72

28.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$3.11 $3.11

116.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.40 $4.40

61.82%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.90 $1.90

142.63%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.64 $2.64

81.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.20 $2.20

30.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.80 $2.80

-3.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$8.63 $8.63

121.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$20.29 $20.29

-3.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.82 $1.82

82.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.93 $3.93

6.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.53 $1.53

97.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$35.49 $35.49

292.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.92 $0.92

22.83%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

26.95%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$22.6K $22.6K

14.62%

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

$232 $232

$207 $207

12.13%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$73.9 $73.9

-3.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$83.7 $83.7

-19.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$33.94 $33.94

239.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$12.06 $12.06

85.82%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$809 $809

345.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$9,125 $9,125

652.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$66.3 $66.3

19.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$95.3 $95.3

27.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$79.6 $79.6

76.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,010 $1,010

350.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$995 $995

205.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$1,526 $1,526

538.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,631 $1,631

226.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,440 $2,440

646.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$1,971 $1,971

239.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$4,378 $4,378

16.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.84

0.73%

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 Bismarck, ND: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Bismarck, ND

$995 42.2% 67.3% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Bismarck, ND

$365 15.5% 35.6% $202

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Bismarck, ND

$423 17.9% 0.6% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Bismarck, ND

$365 15.5% 1.7% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.6% 38.5% $68

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Bismarck, ND

$42 * 1.8% 74.9% $124

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Bismarck, ND

$58 2.5% 63.8% $102

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,555 in New York, NY and $1,010 in Bismarck, ND. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 16% 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: $117 in New York, NY vs $70 in Bismarck, ND for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $365 per month, with Bismarck, ND cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🕒 Local time

13:56 1:56 PM

12:56 12:56 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

58,333

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Bismarck, ND 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Bismarck, ND

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 Bismarck, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,355 in Bismarck, ND, so Bismarck, ND is about 52% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,010 in Bismarck, ND. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bismarck, ND – a meal for two runs $70 versus $117 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,355 in Bismarck, ND versus $4,906 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bismarck, ND but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Bismarck, ND the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Bismarck, ND gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.