Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Boulder, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Boulder, CO: $3,303 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 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
159

Cost of Living Index in Boulder, CO
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Boulder, CO Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Boulder, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Boulder, CO

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 Boulder, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $3,303 in Boulder, CO, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Boulder, CO $3,303

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $4,905 in Boulder, CO, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Boulder, CO $4,905

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $6,508 in Boulder, CO, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Boulder, CO $6,508

New York, NY costs about 49% more than Boulder, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Boulder, CO sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Boulder, CO by 144%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$20.17 $20.17

33.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$79.1 $79.1

47.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$14.98 $14.98

-2.54%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.74 $5.74

13.94%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$3.53 $3.53

9.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.93 $2.93

0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$6.87 $6.87

17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.91 $7.91

24.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.23 $1.23

6.50%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.50 $5.50

-9.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$6.70 $6.70

14.93%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$5.48 $5.48

11.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$11.77 $11.77

66.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$11.23 $11.23

56.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$17.36 $17.36

16.71%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.81 $5.81

20.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.44 $1.44

53.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$6.08 $6.08

10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$6.06 $6.06

17.49%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.08 $4.08

12.99%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.70 $3.70

29.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.48 $3.48

-17.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.76 $2.76

-2.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$10.26 $10.26

86.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$17.09 $17.09

14.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.91 $1.91

73.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.94 $4.94

-15.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.78 $2.78

8.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$86.9 $86.9

60.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.47 $2.47

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.41 $1.41

56.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$24.02 $24.02

72.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.07 $1.07

5.61%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.5K $28.5K

20.88%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-0.58%

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

$232 $232

$229 $229

1.38%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$71.5 $71.5

-0.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$74.4 $74.4

-9.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$75.5 $75.5

52.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$19.92 $19.92

285.59%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$18.82 $18.82

19.08%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,927 $1,927

87.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$32.4K $32.4K

111.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$68.0 $68.0

16.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$49.54 $49.54

3.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$93.1 $93.1

30.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$141 $141

-0.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$2,181 $2,181

108.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,726 $1,726

76.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$3,833 $3,833

154.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$3,071 $3,071

73.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$6,157 $6,157

196.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$4,617 $4,617

44.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$5,513 $5,513

-7.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.67

3.30%

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 Boulder, CO: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Boulder, CO

$1.7K 52.3% 43.2% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Boulder, CO

$472 14.3% 16.8% $95

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Boulder, CO

$351 10.6% 17.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Boulder, CO

$375 11.4% 1.1% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Boulder, CO

$158 4.8% 10.3% $18

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Boulder, CO

$108 3.3% 35% $58

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Boulder, CO

$113 3.4% 29.4% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $2,181 in Boulder, CO. 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 8% higher in Boulder, CO, 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 $79 in Boulder, CO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $472 – making Boulder, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Boulder, CO

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

12:36 12:36 PM

2 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

106,803

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Boulder, CO 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Boulder, CO

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 Boulder, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 49%, 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 $4,955 in Boulder, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Boulder, CO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,181 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Groceries cost about 20% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY and $79 in Boulder, CO. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,906 in New York, NY and $3,303 in Boulder, CO. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Boulder, CO is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.