Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Burnaby

For one person, living is cheaper in Burnaby: $2,738 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
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Burnaby Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,950 in New York, NY versus $2,738 in Burnaby.

New York, NY $4,950
Burnaby $2,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,265 in New York, NY versus $3,928 in Burnaby.

New York, NY $7,265
Burnaby $3,928

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,581 in New York, NY versus $5,117 in Burnaby.

New York, NY $9,581
Burnaby $5,117

Living in New York, NY is roughly 81% more expensive than in Burnaby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 267% above, Burnaby 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$21.18 CA$29.94

16.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$83.7 CA$118

45.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$8.94 CA$12.64

55.59%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.66 CA$6.59

41.42%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.30 CA$3.26

66.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.68 CA$2.38

70.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$8.45 CA$11.95

-7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$5.81 CA$8.21

69.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.30 CA$3.25

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.71 CA$3.83

72.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$3.53 CA$4.99

113.60%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$3.08 CA$4.36

92.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$13.50 CA$19.08

39.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$13.49 CA$19.08

28.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$25.16 CA$35.57

-26.43%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.46 CA$6.30

51.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.30 CA$1.84

60.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.52 CA$6.38

34.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.63 CA$6.54

45.57%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.81 CA$3.97

44.13%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.47 CA$4.90

25.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.68 CA$3.79

7.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.11 CA$2.99

23.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.99 CA$19.78

33.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$13.46 CA$19.03

49.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.08 CA$2.94

56.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.28 CA$3.22

63.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.32 CA$3.28

31.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$79.5 CA$112

76.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.87 CA$4.05

5.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.50 CA$2.13

43.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$26.37 CA$37.27

58.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.30 CA$1.84

-13.85%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

28.51%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$18.7K CA$26.4K

39.53%

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

$219 $219

$120 CA$170

81.93%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$43.55 CA$61.6

68.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$53.1 CA$75.1

35.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$29.72 CA$42.01

312.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$10.33 CA$14.61

555.08%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$13.91 CA$19.67

64.27%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$634 CA$897

425.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$51.7 CA$73.1

45.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$51.6 CA$73.0

1.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$102 CA$144

19.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$77.4 CA$109

71.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$1,628 CA$2,302

169.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,491 CA$2,108

109.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$2,454 CA$3,469

263.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$2,187 CA$3,092

144.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$6,588 CA$9,313

194.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$5,530 CA$7,817

23.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$3,144 CA$4,445

69.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

4.76

43.28%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Burnaby

$1.5K 54.4% 52.4% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Burnaby

$425 15.5% 22.1% $120

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Burnaby

$322 11.8% 20.2% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Burnaby

$217 7.9% 40.4% $147

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Burnaby

$127 4.6% 26.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Burnaby

$58 2.1% 65.8% $111

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Burnaby

$99 3.6% 40.4% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,389 in New York, NY and $1,628 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 70% 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: $122 in New York, NY vs $84.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $425 per month, with Burnaby cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🕒 Local time

13:11 1:11 PM

10:11 10:11 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

249,125

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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New York, NY Burnaby 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Burnaby

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 Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Burnaby differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($4,950 vs $2,738 including rent). Burnaby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% 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: $4,389 in New York, NY versus $1,628 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,333 in New York, NY versus $634 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Burnaby 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.

Expats usually find Burnaby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.