Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Cincinnati, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Cincinnati, OH: $2,284 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,900 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Cincinnati, OH
Learn more

Cincinnati, OH Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,284 in Cincinnati, OH, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Cincinnati, OH $2,284

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,409 in Cincinnati, OH, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Cincinnati, OH $3,409

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,534 in Cincinnati, OH, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Cincinnati, OH $4,534

New York, NY costs about 116% more than Cincinnati, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Cincinnati, OH sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Cincinnati, OH by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$15.04 $15.04

89.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$50.3 $50.3

135.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.03 $10.03

49.95%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.07 $5.07

28.80%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.31 $2.31

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.67 $1.67

80.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.59 $5.59

45.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.60 $7.60

29.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.88 $0.88

55.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.24 $3.24

53.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.14 $4.14

88.65%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.09 $4.09

45.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.06 $13.06

44.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$11.07 $11.07

62.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.30 $16.30

16.87%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.71 $5.71

18.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.65 $1.65

37.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.37 $4.37

56.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.76 $4.76

48.95%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.56 $2.56

64.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.14 $3.14

48.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.02 $2.02

42.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.92 $1.92

35.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.75 $9.75

92.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.94 $14.94

34.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.07 $2.07

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.96 $2.96

35.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.72 $2.72

6.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$107 $107

29.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.82 $3.82

-19.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.25 $1.25

69.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$24.56 $24.56

70.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$35.9K $35.9K

-3.86%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.62%

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

$219 $219

$151 $151

44.86%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$76.8 $76.8

-3.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$71.6 $71.6

-1.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$34.11 $34.11

228.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$13.79 $13.79

442.86%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$15.29 $15.29

44.80%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,341 $1,341

165.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$19.1K $19.1K

225.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$45.25 $45.25

67.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$44.81 $44.81

14.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$83.2 $83.2

48.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$110 $110

27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,505 $1,505

198.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,005 $1,005

206.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,024 $3,024

212.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,784 $1,784

190.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$3,610 $3,610

401.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,016 $2,016

232.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,191 $4,191

24.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.59

4.10%

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 Cincinnati, OH: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Cincinnati, OH

$1K 44% 67.3% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Cincinnati, OH

$389 17% 31% $174

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Cincinnati, OH

$270 11.8% 38.6% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Cincinnati, OH

$300 13.1% 17.6% $64

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Cincinnati, OH

$127 5.6% 27.4% $48

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Cincinnati, OH

$128 5.6% 22.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Cincinnati, OH

$65 2.8% 58.6% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,505 in Cincinnati, OH. 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 25% 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 $50 in Cincinnati, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $389 – making Cincinnati, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

298,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Cincinnati, OH 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Cincinnati, OH

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 Cincinnati, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY, $2,284 in Cincinnati, OH – roughly 116% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,426 in Cincinnati, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cincinnati, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,505 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,284 in Cincinnati, OH. That’s a gap of about 116%.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Cincinnati, OH. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Cincinnati, OH, where all-in costs run around $2,284, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Cincinnati, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cincinnati, OH – 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 Cincinnati, OH. 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.