Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Cedar Rapids, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Cedar Rapids, IA: $2,032 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $34,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Cedar Rapids, IA
Learn more

Cedar Rapids, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Cedar Rapids, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Cedar Rapids, IA

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 Cedar Rapids, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,032 in Cedar Rapids, IA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Cedar Rapids, IA $2,032

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,053 in Cedar Rapids, IA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Cedar Rapids, IA $3,053

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,074 in Cedar Rapids, IA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Cedar Rapids, IA $4,074

New York, NY costs about 143% more than Cedar Rapids, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Cedar Rapids, IA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Cedar Rapids, IA by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$14.97 $14.97

90.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$70.5 $70.5

68.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.80 $10.80

39.26%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.73 $5.73

13.96%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.82 $2.82

40.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.85 $1.85

62.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.57 $4.57

78.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.83 $5.83

68.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.73 $0.73

87.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.45 $2.45

102.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.65 $4.65

67.96%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.44 $2.44

144.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$14.35 $14.35

31.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.92 $10.92

65.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.61 $16.61

14.69%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.09 $5.09

32.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.10 $1.10

106.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.29 $5.29

29.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.58 $4.58

54.80%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.63 $2.63

60.46%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.32 $2.32

100.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.04 $2.04

40.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.22 $2.22

17.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.90 $9.90

89.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$10.90 $10.90

84.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.24 $2.24

54.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.27 $3.27

22.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.02 $1.02

185.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$29.96 $29.96

363.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.56 $3.56

-13.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.84 $1.84

15.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$45.55 $45.55

-7.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.84 $0.84

39.29%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$33.3K $33.3K

3.52%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.20%

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

$219 $219

$204 $204

7.43%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$54.7 $54.7

35.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$69.9 $69.9

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$70.8 $70.8

58.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$19.31 $19.31

287.67%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$13.21 $13.21

67.60%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$871 $871

308.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$61.8 $61.8

22.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$63.4 $63.4

-19.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$128 $128

-3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$152 $152

-7.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,125 $1,125

299.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$732 $732

320.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,602 $1,602

489.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,228 $1,228

322.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,774 $1,774

920.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,492 $1,492

348.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,701 $3,701

41.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.63

3.47%

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 Cedar Rapids, IA: 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%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$732 36% 76.2% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$371 18.2% 34.2% $192

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$274 13.5% 37.7% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$329 16.2% 9.6% $35

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$182 9% 4% $6.9

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$47 2.3% 71.5% $117

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$97 4.8% 37.8% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,125 in Cedar Rapids, IA. 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 41% 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $70 in Cedar Rapids, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $371 – making Cedar Rapids, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Cedar Rapids, IA

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

20:57 8:57 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

137,710

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Cedar Rapids, IA 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Cedar Rapids, IA

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 Cedar Rapids, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 143%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,048 in Cedar Rapids, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cedar Rapids, IA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,125 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Groceries cost about 52% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY and $70 in Cedar Rapids, IA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cedar Rapids, IA, where all-in costs run around $2,032, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Cedar Rapids, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cedar Rapids, IA – 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 Cedar Rapids, IA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.