Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Brooklyn, NY: $4,230 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
204

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Brooklyn, NY $4,230

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $6,364 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Brooklyn, NY $6,364

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $8,497 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Brooklyn, NY $8,497

New York, NY costs about 16% more than Brooklyn, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and Brooklyn, NY sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Brooklyn, NY by 213%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$20.37 $20.37

32.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$107 $107

9.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$11.86 $11.86

23.10%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.49 $5.49

19.13%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.64 $2.64

46.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.27 $2.27

29.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$7.82 $7.82

3.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$8.90 $8.90

10.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.67 $1.67

-21.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.58 $4.58

8.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$7.02 $7.02

9.69%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$6.59 $6.59

-7.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$16.57 $16.57

17.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$17.01 $17.01

3.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$19.96 $19.96

1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$7.93 $7.93

-11.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.68 $3.68

-39.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$5.23 $5.23

28.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$6.04 $6.04

17.88%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.02 $4.02

14.68%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.79 $4.79

-0.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.64 $2.64

8.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.43 $2.43

10.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$15.04 $15.04

27.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$21.33 $21.33

-7.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.74 $2.74

21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.26 $3.26

28.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.94 $2.94

2.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$183 $183

-23.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.96 $2.96

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.14 $2.14

2.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$42.63 $42.63

-3.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.14 $1.14

-0.88%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$31.2K $31.2K

10.31%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.20%

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

$232 $232

$219 $219

6.00%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$60.5 $60.5

17.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$61.3 $61.3

10.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$123 $123

-5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$35.28 $35.28

117.72%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$20.06 $20.06

11.71%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$3,022 $3,022

19.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$52.2K $52.2K

31.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$70.0 $70.0

13.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$76.8 $76.8

-33.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$122 $122

-0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$118 $118

18.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$3,827 $3,827

19.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$2,454 $2,454

23.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$7,537 $7,537

29.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$4,441 $4,441

20.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$12.4K $12.4K

46.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$7,713 $7,713

-13.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$3,614 $3,614

40.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.78

1.62%

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 Brooklyn, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58% 19.3% $586

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Brooklyn, NY

$549 13% 3.3% $19

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1% 19.8% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1% 8.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Brooklyn, NY

$174 4.1% 1.3% $2.3

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Brooklyn, NY

$208 4.9% 26% $43

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.9% 1.7% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY. 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 41% higher in New York, NY. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $107 in Brooklyn, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $549 – making Brooklyn, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

2,736,074

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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New York, NY Brooklyn, NY 21 km

From you

New York, NY
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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 Brooklyn, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY, $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn, NY comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $6,346 in Brooklyn, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brooklyn, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $3,827 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY and $107 in Brooklyn, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. That makes Brooklyn, NY about 14% cheaper.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Brooklyn, NY costs $4,230 versus $4,906 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Brooklyn, NY. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.