Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bothell, WA: $3,183 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Bothell, WA
Learn more

Bothell, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Bothell, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $3,183 in Bothell, WA.

New York, NY $4,941
Bothell, WA $3,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $4,942 in Bothell, WA.

New York, NY $7,225
Bothell, WA $4,942

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $6,700 in Bothell, WA.

New York, NY $9,509
Bothell, WA $6,700

Living in New York, NY is roughly 55% more expensive than in Bothell, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Bothell, WA 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.19 $25.19

13.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$92.6 $92.6

27.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.97 $14.97

0.47%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.58 $6.58

-0.76%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.08 $3.08

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.61 $2.61

15.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.99 $7.99

2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.18 $8.18

20.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.16 $1.16

18.10%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.13 $4.13

20.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.73 $5.73

36.30%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.65 $5.65

5.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$15.99 $15.99

18.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$15.91 $15.91

13.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$22.83 $22.83

-16.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.16 $5.16

31.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.87 $1.87

21.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.30 $5.30

28.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.44 $5.44

30.33%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.55 $3.55

18.87%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.99 $2.99

55.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.26 $2.26

26.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.86 $2.86

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.19 $12.19

53.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.89 $14.89

35.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.61 $2.61

32.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.89 $4.89

-17.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.97 $2.97

-2.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$101 $101

37.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.61 $2.61

18.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.71 $1.71

23.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$30.52 $30.52

37.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.39 $1.39

-15.83%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$30.2K $30.2K

14.26%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.2K $27.2K

-4.88%

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

$219 $219

$233 $233

-5.98%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$48.56 $48.56

52.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$78.6 $78.6

-10.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$58.2 $58.2

92.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$11.99 $11.99

524.35%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.90 $14.90

48.59%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,068 $2,068

72.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$31.0K $31.0K

100.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$61.4 $61.4

23.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$45.12 $45.12

13.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$115 $115

6.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$163 $163

-14.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,923 $1,923

133.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,541 $1,541

99.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,463 $3,463

172.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,052 $3,052

70.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$5,922 $5,922

205.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$4,920 $4,920

36.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$6,220 $6,220

-16.08%

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 Bothell, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Bothell, WA

$1.5K 48.4% 49.9% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Bothell, WA

$492 15.5% 12.5% $71

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Bothell, WA

$404 12.7% 8.1% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Bothell, WA

$361 11.3% 0.9% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Bothell, WA

$173 5.4% 1.3% $2.3

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Bothell, WA

$124 3.9% 24.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Bothell, WA

$88 2.8% 43.7% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,923 in Bothell, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bothell, WA pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $93 in Bothell, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $492 per month, with Bothell, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Bothell, WA

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

15:08 3:08 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

48,161

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Bothell, WA 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Bothell, WA

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 Bothell, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,183 in Bothell, WA, so Bothell, WA is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in New York, NY. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,923 in Bothell, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bothell, WA – a meal for two runs $93 versus $118 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Bothell, WA 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 Bothell, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.