Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Burlington, VT

For one person, living is cheaper in Burlington, VT: $3,098 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 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
147

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, VT
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Burlington, VT Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Burlington, VT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,098

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Burlington, VT

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 Burlington, VT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $3,098 in Burlington, VT.

New York, NY $4,906
Burlington, VT $3,098

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,642 in Burlington, VT.

New York, NY $7,273
Burlington, VT $4,642

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $6,187 in Burlington, VT.

New York, NY $9,641
Burlington, VT $6,187

Living in New York, NY is roughly 58% more expensive than in Burlington, VT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Burlington, VT 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$22.36 $22.36

20.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$79.7 $79.7

46.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$12.21 $12.21

19.57%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.03 $5.03

30.02%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.89 $2.89

33.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.37 $2.37

24.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$8.15 $8.15

-0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$8.22 $8.22

19.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.26 $1.26

3.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.59 $4.59

8.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$5.91 $5.91

30.29%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$4.48 $4.48

35.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$15.38 $15.38

27.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$12.25 $12.25

43.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$19.07 $19.07

6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$7.25 $7.25

-3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.03 $2.03

8.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$5.49 $5.49

22.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$7.37 $7.37

-3.39%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.41 $4.41

4.54%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.95 $3.95

21.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.02 $3.02

-4.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.85 $2.85

-5.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$12.26 $12.26

56.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.20 $15.20

29.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.78 $1.78

86.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.46 $4.46

-6.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.98 $1.98

52.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$50.8 $50.8

174.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.55 $2.55

19.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.79 $1.79

22.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$27.73 $27.73

49.04%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

26.15%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.85%

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

$232 $232

$151 $151

53.93%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$55.6 $55.6

27.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$62.1 $62.1

8.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$64.0 $64.0

80.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$28.22 $28.22

172.18%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$12.15 $12.15

84.44%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,267 $1,267

184.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$21.1K $21.1K

225.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$59.7 $59.7

32.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$51.3 $51.3

0.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$70.2 $70.2

72.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$155 $155

-9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$2,426 $2,426

87.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,678 $1,678

81.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$3,601 $3,601

170.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$2,943 $2,943

81.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$3,831 $3,831

375.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$3,217 $3,217

107.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$4,442 $4,442

14.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.7

2.84%

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 Burlington, VT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Burlington, VT

$1.7K 54.2% 44.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Burlington, VT

$487 15.7% 14.1% $80

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Burlington, VT

$354 11.4% 16.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Burlington, VT

$269 8.7% 27.6% $102

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Burlington, VT

$151 4.9% 14.3% $25

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Burlington, VT

$70 2.3% 57.6% $95

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Burlington, VT

$88 2.9% 44.9% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,555 in New York, NY and $2,426 in Burlington, VT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 15% 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: $117 in New York, NY vs $80 in Burlington, VT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $487 per month, with Burlington, VT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Burlington, VT

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

44,743

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Burlington, VT 430 km

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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 Burlington, VT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burlington, VT is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $2,426 in Burlington, VT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Burlington, VT runs roughly 64% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $3,606 in New York, NY versus $1,267 in Burlington, VT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Burlington, VT is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Burlington, VT is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Burlington, VT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.