Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Buckley, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Buckley, WA: $2,432 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,938
/mo nomad
Buckley, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,432
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Buckley, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,432 in Buckley, WA, rent included.

  • New York, NY $4,938
  • Buckley, WA $2,432

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,581 in Buckley, WA, rent included.

  • New York, NY $7,273
  • Buckley, WA $3,581

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $4,730 in Buckley, WA, rent included.

  • New York, NY $9,608
  • Buckley, WA $4,730

New York, NY costs about 103% more than Buckley, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Buckley, WA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Buckley, WA by 79%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Buckley, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.99 $24.99
$25.29 $25.29
-1.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$120 $120
$65.7 $65.7
83.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.74 $13.74
$12.37 $12.37
11.08%
Cappuccino
$6.60 $6.60
$6.27 $6.27
5.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$2.93 $2.93
30.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 $2.87
$1.68 $1.68
70.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.95 $7.95
$7.11 $7.11
11.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.06 $10.06
$7.06 $7.06
42.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Buckley, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 $1.37
$0.75 $0.75
82.67%
White Bread (500g)
$4.75 $4.75
$2.21 $2.21
114.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.69 $7.69
$3.23 $3.23
138.08%
Eggs
$5.87 $5.87
$4.01 $4.01
46.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.25 $19.25
$13.29 $13.29
44.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.83 $17.83
$8.86 $8.86
101.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.03 $19.03
$13.37 $13.37
42.33%
Apples (1kg)
$6.69 $6.69
$3.25 $3.25
105.85%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.58 $1.58
44.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.41 $6.41
$2.90 $2.90
121.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.75 $6.75
$3.24 $3.24
108.33%
Potato (1kg)
$3.93 $3.93
$2.74 $2.74
43.43%
Onion (1kg)
$4.52 $4.52
$2.44 $2.44
85.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.79 $2.79
$2.35 $2.35
18.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 $2.51
$2.63 $2.63
-4.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.10 $18.10
$10.06 $10.06
79.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.16 $20.16
$7.03 $7.03
186.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.49 $2.49
30.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.75 $3.75
$2.33 $2.33
60.94%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Buckley, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.89 $1.89
54.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$143 $143
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 $3.06
$5.08 $5.08
-39.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.22 $1.22
77.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.33 $41.33
$24.78 $24.78
66.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.31 $1.31
-14.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K $33.1K
$28.1K $28.1K
17.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$26.6K $26.6K
-3.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Buckley, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$159 $159
38.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$75.3 $75.3
$69.9 $69.9
7.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.5 $70.5
$40.10 $40.10
75.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Buckley, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$116 $116
$40.32 $40.32
186.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$67.6 $67.6
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$21.37 $21.37
$12.14 $12.14
76.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Buckley, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,432 $3,432
$1,428 $1,428
140.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$61.7K $61.7K
$23.6K $23.6K
161.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Buckley, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.9 $74.9
$27.07 $27.07
176.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.1 $52.1
$56.1 $56.1
-7.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 $117
$41.32 $41.32
182.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$135 $135
$65.5 $65.5
105.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Buckley, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,347 $4,347
$1,571 $1,571
176.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,117 $3,117
$1,290 $1,290
141.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$9,110 $9,110
$2,461 $2,461
270.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,379 $5,379
$2,186 $2,186
146.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$19.3K $19.3K
$2,699 $2,699
614.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,943 $6,943
$2,412 $2,412
187.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Buckley, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,238 $5,238
$2,544 $2,544
105.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.85
6.81
0.59%

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 Buckley, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3.1K
Buckley, WA
$1.3K 58.6% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$552
Buckley, WA
$322 41.8% $231
Eating Out
New York, NY
$407
Buckley, WA
$383 5.9% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$365
Buckley, WA
$269 26.5% $97
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$170
Buckley, WA
$85 49.8% $85
Getting Around
New York, NY
$168
Buckley, WA
$19 * 88.9% $149
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$158
Buckley, WA
$65 59.2% $94

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,571 in Buckley, WA. 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 106% 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 $120 in New York, NY versus $66.0 in Buckley, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $322 – making Buckley, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇺🇸 Buckley, WA
🕒 Local time
07:41 7:41 AM
04:41 4:41 AM
3 h behind New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
5,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Buckley, WA 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Buckley, WA

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 Buckley, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buckley, WA cheaper than New York, NY?
Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 103%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $3,648 in Buckley, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Buckley, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in New York, NY or in Buckley, WA?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY and $66.0 in Buckley, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in New York, NY and in Buckley, WA?
Groceries cost about 72% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in New York, NY or in Buckley, WA?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,432 in Buckley, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is New York, NY or Buckley, WA more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Buckley, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Buckley, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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