Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Cape Carteret, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Carteret, NC: $2,709 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,700 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Cape Carteret, NC
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Cape Carteret, NC Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Cape Carteret, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Cape Carteret, NC

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 Cape Carteret, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,709 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Cape Carteret, NC $2,709

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,716 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Cape Carteret, NC $3,716

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $4,722 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Cape Carteret, NC $4,722

New York, NY costs about 82% more than Cape Carteret, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Cape Carteret, NC sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Cape Carteret, NC by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$17.95 $17.95

39.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$89.1 $89.1

34.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$12.15 $12.15

13.09%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.91 $5.91

11.68%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.78 $2.78

37.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.06 $2.06

39.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$6.04 $6.04

31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$6.95 $6.95

44.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.04 $1.04

31.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.20 $3.20

48.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$5.30 $5.30

45.09%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.82 $4.82

21.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$10.38 $10.38

85.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$10.04 $10.04

77.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$18.65 $18.65

2.04%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$2.47 $2.47

170.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.61 $1.61

42.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.94 $4.94

29.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.81 $5.81

16.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.24 $2.24

75.45%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.43 $4.43

2.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.78 $1.78

56.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.33 $2.33

7.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$9.47 $9.47

91.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$12.12 $12.12

66.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.84 $1.84

77.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.12 $2.12

76.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.81 $1.81

61.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.61 $4.61

-33.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.32 $1.32

63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$20.14 $20.14

105.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.00 $1.00

12.00%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.7K $27.7K

19.63%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

-2.06%

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

$219 $219

$211 $211

3.77%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$59.8 $59.8

26.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$67.3 $67.3

4.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$44.20 $44.20

161.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$9.13 $9.13

134.06%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,596 $1,596

114.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$16.1K $16.1K

283.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$61.0 $61.0

22.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$47.26 $47.26

10.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$116 $116

0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$111 $111

21.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,643 $1,643

164.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,446 $1,446

115.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,879 $2,879

216.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,870 $1,870

187.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$3,119 $3,119

518.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,615 $2,615

165.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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 Cape Carteret, NC: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Cape Carteret, NC

$1.4K 53.4% 53.6% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Cape Carteret, NC

$379 14% 31.3% $173

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Cape Carteret, NC

$314 11.6% 22.7% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Cape Carteret, NC

$338 12.5% 7.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Cape Carteret, NC

$151 5.6% 11.4% $19

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Cape Carteret, NC

$18 * 0.7% 89.1% $150

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Cape Carteret, NC

$62 2.3% 60.5% $96

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 $1,643 in Cape Carteret, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY versus $89.0 in Cape Carteret, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $379 – making Cape Carteret, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Cape Carteret, NC

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

2,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Cape Carteret, NC 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Cape Carteret, NC

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 Cape Carteret, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $4,064 in Cape Carteret, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Carteret, NC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,709 in Cape Carteret, NC. That's a gap of about 82%.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,596 in Cape Carteret, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,709 in Cape Carteret, NC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cape Carteret, NC – 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 Cape Carteret, NC. 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.