Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Cathedral City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Cathedral City, CA: $2,626 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Cathedral City, CA
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Cathedral City, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Cathedral City, CA

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 Cathedral City, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,626 in Cathedral City, CA.

New York, NY $4,941
Cathedral City, CA $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,862 in Cathedral City, CA.

New York, NY $7,225
Cathedral City, CA $3,862

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $5,098 in Cathedral City, CA.

New York, NY $9,509
Cathedral City, CA $5,098

Living in New York, NY is roughly 88% more expensive than in Cathedral City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Cathedral City, CA 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$18.69 $18.69

52.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$75.8 $75.8

56.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.90 $10.90

37.98%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.18 $5.18

26.06%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.49 $2.49

59.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.97 $1.97

52.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.04 $6.04

35.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$6.96 $6.96

41.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.00 $1.00

37.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.46 $3.46

43.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.42 $4.42

76.70%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.25 $4.25

40.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.16 $12.16

55.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$11.32 $11.32

59.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$15.20 $15.20

25.33%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.82 $4.82

40.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.58 $1.58

43.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.22 $4.22

61.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.58 $4.58

54.80%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.80 $2.80

50.71%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.86 $2.86

62.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.12 $2.12

35.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.17 $2.17

19.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.77 $9.77

92.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$13.90 $13.90

44.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.77 $1.77

94.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.45 $3.45

16.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.98 $1.98

46.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$62.0 $62.0

124.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.55 $3.55

-13.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.59 $1.59

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$29.44 $29.44

42.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.89 $0.89

31.46%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$29.8K $29.8K

15.64%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

-0.72%

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

$219 $219

$186 $186

17.71%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$53.2 $53.2

39.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$68.8 $68.8

1.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$42.71 $42.71

162.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$13.46 $13.46

64.49%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,308 $1,308

171.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.8K $23.8K

161.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$50.3 $50.3

50.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.94 $39.94

28.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$85.1 $85.1

44.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$113 $113

23.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,629 $1,629

176.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,347 $1,347

128.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,592 $2,592

264.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,266 $2,266

129.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,761 $2,761

555.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,402 $2,402

178.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.51

5.38%

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 Cathedral City, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Cathedral City, CA

$1.3K 51.3% 56.2% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Cathedral City, CA

$384 14.6% 31.9% $179

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Cathedral City, CA

$306 11.7% 30.4% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Cathedral City, CA

$308 11.8% 15.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Cathedral City, CA

$130 5% 25.9% $46

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Cathedral City, CA

$81 3.1% 50.5% $83

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Cathedral City, CA

$70 2.7% 55.4% $87

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,629 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $76 in Cathedral City, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $384 per month, with Cathedral City, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Cathedral City, CA

🕒 Local time

11:13 11:13 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

51,493

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Cathedral City, CA 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Cathedral City, CA

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 Cathedral City, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Cathedral City, CA differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($4,941 vs $2,626 including rent). Cathedral City, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $7,412 in New York, NY and $3,939 in Cathedral City, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,629 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cathedral City, CA runs roughly 55% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $1,308 in Cathedral City, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,626 in Cathedral City, CA versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cathedral City, CA but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Cathedral City, CA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Cathedral City, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.