Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Brookings, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Brookings, SD: $2,639 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Brookings, SD
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Brookings, SD Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Brookings, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,639 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Brookings, SD $2,639

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,597 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Brookings, SD $3,597

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $4,556 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Brookings, SD $4,556

New York, NY costs about 86% more than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Brookings, SD sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Brookings, SD by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$17.36 $17.36

55.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$39.21 $39.21

197.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$11.52 $11.52

26.74%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$4.52 $4.52

44.69%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.46 $2.46

56.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.01 $2.01

46.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.85 $5.85

38.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$6.81 $6.81

44.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$0.89 $0.89

47.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.68 $3.68

35.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$6.44 $6.44

19.57%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$3.52 $3.52

73.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$10.38 $10.38

88.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$13.66 $13.66

28.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$12.99 $12.99

55.97%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.72 $5.72

22.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.81 $1.81

22.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$6.61 $6.61

1.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$5.07 $5.07

40.43%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.46 $4.46

3.36%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.27 $4.27

11.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.28 $2.28

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.03 $2.03

32.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$12.84 $12.84

49.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$12.05 $12.05

62.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.89 $2.89

14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$5.81 $5.81

-27.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.90 $4.90

-37.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.67 $1.67

31.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$23.75 $23.75

74.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.04 $1.04

8.65%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$29.6K $29.6K

16.55%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.18%

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

$232 $232

$184 $184

26.00%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$57.3 $57.3

24.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$69.4 $69.4

-2.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$12.03 $12.03

86.28%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,316 $1,316

173.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$36.7K $36.7K

87.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$42.51 $42.51

86.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$34.79 $34.79

47.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$88.7 $88.7

36.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$105 $105

34.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,715 $1,715

165.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,459 $1,459

108.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,051 $2,051

375.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$2,107 $2,107

153.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,339 $2,339

679.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$2,374 $2,374

181.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

5.5

25.27%

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 Brookings, SD: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Brookings, SD

$1.5K 55.3% 52% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Brookings, SD

$421 16% 25.8% $146

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Brookings, SD

$288 10.9% 32.1% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Brookings, SD

$311 11.8% 16.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Brookings, SD

$122 4.6% 31% $55

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Brookings, SD

$13 * 0.5% 92% $152

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Brookings, SD

$24 * 0.9% 85% $136

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,715 in Brookings, SD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $39 in Brookings, SD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $421 – making Brookings, SD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Brookings, SD

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

20:48 8:48 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

18,802

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Brookings, SD 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 86% more than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $3,958 in Brookings, SD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brookings, SD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,715 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY and $39 in Brookings, SD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,639 in Brookings, SD. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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