Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Brookhaven, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Brookhaven, NY: $2,722 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Brookhaven, NY
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Brookhaven, NY Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Brookhaven, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Brookhaven, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY.

New York, NY $4,938
Brookhaven, NY $2,722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,065 in Brookhaven, NY.

New York, NY $7,273
Brookhaven, NY $4,065

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $5,408 in Brookhaven, NY.

New York, NY $9,608
Brookhaven, NY $5,408

Living in New York, NY is roughly 81% more expensive than in Brookhaven, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Brookhaven, NY 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$24.74 $24.74

1.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$98.9 $98.9

21.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$11.20 $11.20

22.68%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.35 $5.35

23.36%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.24 $2.24

70.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.54 $1.54

86.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$8.01 $8.01

-0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$8.20 $8.20

22.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.26 $1.26

8.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.31 $4.31

10.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$7.76 $7.76

-0.90%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$5.75 $5.75

2.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$12.61 $12.61

52.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$11.62 $11.62

53.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$17.07 $17.07

11.48%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.54 $5.54

20.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.73 $1.73

32.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$6.16 $6.16

4.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$6.14 $6.14

9.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.47 $5.47

-28.15%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.77 $3.77

19.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.94 $2.94

-14.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$11.50 $11.50

57.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$24.08 $24.08

-16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.71 $1.71

90.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$5.49 $5.49

-31.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.86 $1.86

56.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.93 $2.93

4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.03 $2.03

6.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$23.54 $23.54

75.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.10 $1.10

1.82%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.6K $27.6K

20.11%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.71%

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

$219 $219

$211 $211

4.05%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$75.6 $75.6

-0.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$64.3 $64.3

9.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$40.96 $40.96

181.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$14.76 $14.76

44.78%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$2,237 $2,237

53.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$23.6K $23.6K

161.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$41.13 $41.13

82.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$56.5 $56.5

-7.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$76.1 $76.1

53.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$158 $158

-14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,587 $1,587

173.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,275 $1,275

144.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,527 $2,527

260.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,118 $2,118

153.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$3,099 $3,099

522.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,127 $2,127

226.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.75

1.48%

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 Brookhaven, NY: 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%

Brookhaven, NY

$1.3K 46.9% 59.1% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Brookhaven, NY

$489 18% 11.5% $64

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Brookhaven, NY

$367 13.5% 9.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Brookhaven, NY

$351 12.9% 4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Brookhaven, NY

$149 5.5% 12.3% $21

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Brookhaven, NY

$21 * 0.8% 87.8% $148

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Brookhaven, NY

$70 2.6% 55.5% $88

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 $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $120 in New York, NY vs $99.0 in Brookhaven, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $489 per month, with Brookhaven, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Brookhaven, NY

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

11,674

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

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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 Brookhaven, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brookhaven, NY is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $7,407 in New York, NY and $4,083 in Brookhaven, NY to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% 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 $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Brookhaven, NY is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Brookhaven, NY 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.

Safety-wise, New York, NY and Brookhaven, NY 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 Brookhaven, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.