Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cleveland, OH: $2,409 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,400 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
116

Cost of Living Index in Cleveland, OH
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Cleveland, OH Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Cleveland, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Cleveland, 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 Cleveland, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,409 in Cleveland, OH, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Cleveland, OH $2,409

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,602 in Cleveland, OH, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Cleveland, OH $3,602

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,794 in Cleveland, OH, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Cleveland, OH $4,794

New York, NY costs about 105% more than Cleveland, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Cleveland, OH sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Cleveland, OH by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$18.09 $18.09

57.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$62.3 $62.3

90.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.05 $11.05

36.11%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.57 $5.57

17.24%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.65 $2.65

49.43%

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

$6.11 $6.11

33.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.10 $8.10

21.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.88 $0.88

55.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.28 $3.28

51.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.42 $4.42

76.70%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.44 $4.44

34.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.09 $13.09

44.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$12.16 $12.16

48.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.88 $19.88

-4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.09 $5.09

32.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.61 $1.61

40.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.16 $4.16

64.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.85 $3.85

84.16%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.99 $2.99

41.14%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.17 $3.17

46.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.18 $2.18

31.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.11 $2.11

23.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.19 $10.19

84.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.87 $14.87

35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.41 $2.41

43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.70 $3.70

8.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.56 $2.56

13.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$93.7 $93.7

48.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.78 $2.78

10.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.58 $1.58

34.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$25.45 $25.45

64.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.07 $1.07

9.35%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$36.1K $36.1K

-4.49%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.07%

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

$219 $219

$221 $221

-0.93%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$65.4 $65.4

13.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$73.1 $73.1

-3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$33.34 $33.34

235.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$2.01 $2.01

3624.38%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$13.50 $13.50

64.00%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,007 $1,007

253.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$18.4K $18.4K

238.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$61.3 $61.3

23.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$38.95 $38.95

31.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$99.0 $99.0

24.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$119 $119

17.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,637 $1,637

174.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,015 $1,015

203.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,068 $3,068

207.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,825 $1,825

184.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,969 $1,969

819.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,439 $1,439

365.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,644 $3,644

43.27%

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 Cleveland, OH: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Cleveland, OH

$1K 42.1% 67% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Cleveland, OH

$406 16.9% 27.8% $157

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Cleveland, OH

$310 12.9% 29.6% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Cleveland, OH

$360 14.9% 1.1% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Cleveland, OH

$143 5.9% 18.5% $32

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Cleveland, OH

$115 4.8% 30.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Cleveland, OH

$60 2.5% 61.4% $96

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,637 in Cleveland, 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 43% 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 $62 in Cleveland, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $406 – making Cleveland, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Cleveland, OH

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

367,991

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Cleveland, OH 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Cleveland, 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 Cleveland, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 105%, 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 $3,614 in Cleveland, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cleveland, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,637 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY and $62 in Cleveland, OH. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,409 in Cleveland, OH. That makes Cleveland, OH about 51% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Cleveland, 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 Cleveland, OH. 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.