Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Brentwood, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Brentwood, CA: $2,609 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brentwood, CA
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Brentwood, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Brentwood, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Brentwood, CA

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 Brentwood, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,609 in Brentwood, CA.

New York, NY $4,938
Brentwood, CA $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,005 in Brentwood, CA.

New York, NY $7,273
Brentwood, CA $4,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $5,401 in Brentwood, CA.

New York, NY $9,608
Brentwood, CA $5,401

Living in New York, NY is roughly 89% more expensive than in Brentwood, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Brentwood, CA 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$25.11 $25.11

-0.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$112 $112

7.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$15.08 $15.08

-8.89%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.59 $5.59

18.07%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.06 $3.06

24.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.48 $2.48

15.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$8.91 $8.91

-10.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.78 $7.78

29.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.26 $1.26

8.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.33 $4.33

9.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.75 $4.75

61.89%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$5.42 $5.42

8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$24.69 $24.69

-22.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$11.72 $11.72

52.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$13.17 $13.17

44.50%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.41 $5.41

23.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.06 $3.06

-25.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.72 $4.72

35.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.89 $5.89

14.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.30 $3.30

19.09%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.86 $3.86

17.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.96 $2.96

-5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.70 $2.70

-7.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$11.68 $11.68

54.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$13.08 $13.08

54.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.17 $2.17

50.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.54 $2.54

47.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.94 $1.94

50.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.94 $3.94

-22.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.70 $1.70

27.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$32.36 $32.36

27.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.54 $1.54

-27.27%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.7K $27.7K

19.75%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.3K $27.3K

-5.78%

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

$219 $219

$137 $137

59.81%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$39.77 $39.77

89.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$62.2 $62.2

13.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$39.88 $39.88

189.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$17.89 $17.89

19.45%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$2,330 $2,330

47.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$23.9K $23.9K

158.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$52.1 $52.1

43.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.73 $39.73

31.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$76.2 $76.2

53.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$59.0 $59.0

128.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,791 $1,791

142.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,309 $1,309

138.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,551 $2,551

257.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,270 $2,270

136.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,730 $2,730

606.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,181 $2,181

218.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$6,395 $6,395

-18.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.69

2.39%

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 Brentwood, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Brentwood, CA

$1.3K 50.2% 58% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Brentwood, CA

$466 17.9% 15.5% $86

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Brentwood, CA

$395 15.2% 2.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Brentwood, CA

$239 9.2% 34.5% $126

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Brentwood, CA

$102 3.9% 40% $68

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Brentwood, CA

$20 * 0.8% 88% $148

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Brentwood, CA

$76 2.9% 52.2% $83

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 $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,791 in Brentwood, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brentwood, CA pays 22% 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 $112 in Brentwood, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $466 per month, with Brentwood, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Brentwood, CA

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

19:37 7:37 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

64,474

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Brentwood, CA 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Brentwood, CA

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 Brentwood, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Brentwood, CA differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($4,938 vs $2,609 including rent). Brentwood, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Brentwood, CA. 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: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,791 in Brentwood, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,938 per month in New York, NY versus $2,609 in Brentwood, CA – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Brentwood, CA 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.

Safety-wise, New York, NY and Brentwood, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brentwood, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.