Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Brunswick, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Brunswick, ME: $2,678 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Brunswick, ME
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Brunswick, ME Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Brunswick, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Brunswick, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,678 in Brunswick, ME.

New York, NY $4,941
Brunswick, ME $2,678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $4,022 in Brunswick, ME.

New York, NY $7,225
Brunswick, ME $4,022

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $5,366 in Brunswick, ME.

New York, NY $9,509
Brunswick, ME $5,366

Living in New York, NY is roughly 85% more expensive than in Brunswick, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Brunswick, ME 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.46 $25.46

12.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

0.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.94 $14.94

0.67%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.36 $6.36

2.67%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.13 $3.13

26.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.39 $2.39

25.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.92 $7.92

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.16 $8.16

20.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.01 $1.01

35.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.23 $3.23

53.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.44 $3.44

127.03%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.45 $2.45

143.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.95 $12.95

46.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.24 $10.24

76.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$15.96 $15.96

19.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.65 $4.65

45.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.47 $1.47

54.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.53 $4.53

50.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.40 $6.40

10.78%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.32 $3.32

27.11%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.63 $3.63

28.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.44 $2.44

17.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.93 $1.93

34.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.97 $8.97

109.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$13.13 $13.13

53.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.38 $1.38

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.94 $1.94

107.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.99 $1.99

46.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$59.7 $59.7

132.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.02 $2.02

52.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.52 $1.52

39.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$11.15 $11.15

276.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

28.44%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.4K $26.4K

-1.90%

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

$219 $219

$158 $158

39.25%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$68.0 $68.0

9.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$78.1 $78.1

-10.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$35.42 $35.42

216.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.14 $14.14

56.58%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,242 $1,242

186.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$26.6K $26.6K

133.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$52.0 $52.0

45.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$81.5 $81.5

-37.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$103 $103

19.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$132 $132

5.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,557 $1,557

188.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,292 $1,292

138.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,525 $2,525

274.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,076 $2,076

149.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,959 $2,959

512.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,310 $2,310

189.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,782 $4,782

9.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.5

5.54%

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 Brunswick, ME: 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%

Brunswick, ME

$1.3K 48.2% 58% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Brunswick, ME

$373 13.9% 33.7% $190

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Brunswick, ME

$403 15% 8.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Brunswick, ME

$304 11.3% 16.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Brunswick, ME

$166 6.2% 5.4% $9.4

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Brunswick, ME

$77 2.9% 53% $87

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Brunswick, ME

$64 2.4% 59.2% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,557 in Brunswick, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $118 in Brunswick, ME. Groceries flip the comparison at $563 vs $373, with Brunswick, ME cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Brunswick, ME

🕒 Local time

14:07 2:07 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

16,287

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Brunswick, ME 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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 Brunswick, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brunswick, ME is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in New York, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,557 in Brunswick, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $1,242 in Brunswick, ME. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Brunswick, ME runs roughly 57% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Brunswick, ME 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.

It comes down to priorities – Brunswick, ME wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.