Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Boca Raton, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Boca Raton, FL: $3,423 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,938
/mo nomad
Boca Raton, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$3,423
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Boca Raton, FL

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 Boca Raton, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $3,423 in Boca Raton, FL.

  • New York, NY $4,938
  • Boca Raton, FL $3,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $5,232 in Boca Raton, FL.

  • New York, NY $7,273
  • Boca Raton, FL $5,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $7,041 in Boca Raton, FL.

  • New York, NY $9,608
  • Boca Raton, FL $7,041

Living in New York, NY is roughly 44% more expensive than in Boca Raton, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Boca Raton, FL 153% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Boca Raton, FL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.99 $24.99
$24.78 $24.78
0.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$120 $120
$100 $100
19.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.74 $13.74
$12.29 $12.29
11.80%
Cappuccino
$6.60 $6.60
$4.59 $4.59
43.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$2.27 $2.27
68.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 $2.87
$1.89 $1.89
51.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.95 $7.95
$6.12 $6.12
29.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.06 $10.06
$7.13 $7.13
41.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Boca Raton, FL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 $1.37
$1.05 $1.05
30.48%
White Bread (500g)
$4.75 $4.75
$4.26 $4.26
11.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.69 $7.69
$7.09 $7.09
8.46%
Eggs
$5.87 $5.87
$5.33 $5.33
10.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.25 $19.25
$11.62 $11.62
65.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.83 $17.83
$14.07 $14.07
26.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.03 $19.03
$23.50 $23.50
-19.02%
Apples (1kg)
$6.69 $6.69
$4.95 $4.95
35.15%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.89 $1.89
21.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.41 $6.41
$3.78 $3.78
69.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.75 $6.75
$5.13 $5.13
31.58%
Potato (1kg)
$3.93 $3.93
$3.22 $3.22
22.05%
Onion (1kg)
$4.52 $4.52
$3.27 $3.27
38.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.79 $2.79
$1.01 $1.01
176.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 $2.51
$2.57 $2.57
-2.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.10 $18.10
$10.16 $10.16
78.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.16 $20.16
$14.02 $14.02
43.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.99 $1.99
63.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.75 $3.75
$2.40 $2.40
56.25%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Boca Raton, FL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.05 $2.05
42.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$143 $143
$35.69 $35.69
299.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 $3.06
$4.01 $4.01
-23.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.72 $0.72
200.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.33 $41.33
$29.70 $29.70
39.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$0.94 $0.94
19.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K $33.1K
$34.5K $34.5K
-3.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$25.4K $25.4K
1.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Boca Raton, FL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$217 $217
0.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$75.3 $75.3
$53.9 $53.9
39.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.5 $70.5
$73.5 $73.5
-4.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Boca Raton, FL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$116 $116
$36.17 $36.17
219.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$67.6 $67.6
$20.21 $20.21
234.59%
Cinema Ticket
$21.37 $21.37
$15.19 $15.19
40.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Boca Raton, FL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,432 $3,432
$1,073 $1,073
219.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$61.7K $61.7K
$21.3K $21.3K
189.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Boca Raton, FL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.9 $74.9
$46.13 $46.13
62.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.1 $52.1
$42.47 $42.47
22.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 $117
$70.7 $70.7
64.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$135 $135
$68.1 $68.1
97.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Boca Raton, FL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,347 $4,347
$3,372 $3,372
28.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,117 $3,117
$2,057 $2,057
51.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$9,110 $9,110
$4,578 $4,578
99.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,379 $5,379
$3,894 $3,894
38.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$19.3K $19.3K
$8,693 $8,693
121.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,943 $6,943
$6,480 $6,480
7.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Boca Raton, FL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,238 $5,238
$5,714 $5,714
-8.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.85
6.53
4.90%

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 Boca Raton, FL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3.1K
Boca Raton, FL
$2.1K 34% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$552
Boca Raton, FL
$449 18.7% $103
Eating Out
New York, NY
$407
Boca Raton, FL
$352 13.6% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$365
Boca Raton, FL
$345 5.6% $21
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$170
Boca Raton, FL
$102 39.9% $68
Getting Around
New York, NY
$168
Boca Raton, FL
$52 69.4% $117
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$158
Boca Raton, FL
$67 57.9% $92

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $3,372 in Boca Raton, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boca Raton, FL pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $120 in New York, NY vs $100 in Boca Raton, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $449 per month, with Boca Raton, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇺🇸 Boca Raton, FL
🕒 Local time
13:57 1:57 PM
13:57 1:57 PM
Same time as New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
86,396
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Boca Raton, FL 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Boca Raton, FL

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 Boca Raton, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boca Raton, FL cheaper than New York, NY?
Boca Raton, FL is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: New York, NY or Boca Raton, FL?
On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Boca Raton, FL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between New York, NY and Boca Raton, FL?
Rent for a central apartment: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $3,372 in Boca Raton, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in New York, NY or in Boca Raton, FL?
Dining out is cheaper in Boca Raton, FL – a meal for two runs $100 versus $120 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in New York, NY and in Boca Raton, FL?
All in, you'll spend $4,938 per month in New York, NY versus $3,423 in Boca Raton, FL – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in New York, NY or in Boca Raton, FL?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Boca Raton, FL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is New York, NY or Boca Raton, FL more family-friendly?
For families, Boca Raton, FL is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Boca Raton, FL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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