Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Brownsville, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Brownsville, TX: $1,752 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $38,300 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Brownsville, TX
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Brownsville, TX Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,752

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Brownsville, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $1,752 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Brownsville, TX $1,752

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $2,612 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Brownsville, TX $2,612

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $3,472 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Brownsville, TX $3,472

New York, NY costs about 182% more than Brownsville, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Brownsville, TX sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Brownsville, TX by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$10.13 $10.13

181.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$59.9 $59.9

97.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$7.95 $7.95

89.18%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$4.03 $4.03

62.03%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.03 $2.03

95.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.01 $2.01

49.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.05 $5.05

61.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.10 $5.10

92.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.85 $0.85

61.18%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.24 $2.24

121.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.22 $2.22

251.80%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.83 $2.83

110.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.32 $9.32

102.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$12.84 $12.84

40.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$9.11 $9.11

109.11%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$2.61 $2.61

159.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.29 $2.29

-0.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$1.67 $1.67

308.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$1.98 $1.98

258.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.90 $2.90

45.52%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$1.07 $1.07

334.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.01 $1.01

184.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.02 $1.02

154.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.57 $9.57

96.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$7.35 $7.35

173.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.05 $2.05

68.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.23 $2.23

80.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.15 $4.15

-25.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$0.77 $0.77

175.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.86 $0.86

36.05%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.9K $28.9K

19.25%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.3K $24.3K

6.27%

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

$219 $219

$162 $162

35.76%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$37.04 $37.04

100.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$67.4 $67.4

4.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$49.89 $49.89

124.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$11.78 $11.78

87.95%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$595 $595

497.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$78.7 $78.7

-3.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$44.47 $44.47

15.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$75.8 $75.8

62.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$96.5 $96.5

44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$944 $944

376.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$796 $796

286.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,656 $1,656

470.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,384 $1,384

275.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,860 $1,860

873.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,856 $1,856

260.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,159 $3,159

65.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.48

5.86%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brownsville, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Brownsville, TX

$796 45.5% 74.1% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Brownsville, TX

$271 15.4% 51.9% $292

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Brownsville, TX

$205 11.7% 53.5% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Brownsville, TX

$266 15.2% 26.9% $98

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Brownsville, TX

$133 7.6% 24.2% $42

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Brownsville, TX

$8 * 0.5% 95.1% $156

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Brownsville, TX

$73 4.2% 53% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $944 in Brownsville, TX. 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 65% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $60 in Brownsville, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $271 – making Brownsville, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Brownsville, TX

🕒 Local time

06:00 6:00 AM

05:00 5:00 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

186,738

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Brownsville, TX 2,700 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Brownsville, TX

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 Brownsville, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY, $1,752 in Brownsville, TX – Brownsville, TX comes out roughly 65% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $2,628 in Brownsville, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brownsville, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $944 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $1,752 in Brownsville, TX. That makes Brownsville, TX about 65% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $595 in Brownsville, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Brownsville, TX, where all-in costs run around $1,752, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Brownsville, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Brownsville, TX. 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.