Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cleveland, TN: $2,168 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,300 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Cleveland, TN
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Cleveland, TN Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Cleveland, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Cleveland, TN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,168 in Cleveland, TN.

New York, NY $4,941
Cleveland, TN $2,168

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,263 in Cleveland, TN.

New York, NY $7,225
Cleveland, TN $3,263

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $4,359 in Cleveland, TN.

New York, NY $9,509
Cleveland, TN $4,359

Living in New York, NY is roughly 128% more expensive than in Cleveland, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Cleveland, TN 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$11.33 $11.33

151.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$38.11 $38.11

210.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$9.89 $9.89

52.07%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$4.87 $4.87

34.09%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.42 $2.42

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.64 $1.64

83.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.83 $5.83

39.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.34 $7.34

34.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.80 $0.80

71.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.26 $2.26

119.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.72 $2.72

187.13%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.53 $2.53

135.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.67 $8.67

118.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$5.65 $5.65

219.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$10.47 $10.47

81.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$3.82 $3.82

76.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.35 $1.35

68.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.46 $3.46

97.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.02 $3.02

134.77%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.49 $1.49

183.22%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.31 $2.31

101.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.22 $2.22

29.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.82 $1.82

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$7.72 $7.72

143.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.07 $14.07

43.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.73 $1.73

99.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.20 $3.20

25.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.94 $1.94

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$93.2 $93.2

49.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.08 $2.08

48.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.92 $1.92

10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$31.86 $31.86

31.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.97 $0.97

20.62%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$26.0K $26.0K

32.64%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.3K $25.3K

2.27%

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

$219 $219

$170 $170

29.23%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$66.1 $66.1

12.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$46.46 $46.46

51.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$24.66 $24.66

353.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$9.89 $9.89

123.86%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,568 $1,568

126.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$8,544 $8,544

627.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$33.25 $33.25

127.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$53.0 $53.0

-3.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$87.8 $87.8

40.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$91.3 $91.3

53.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,600 $1,600

181.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,093 $1,093

181.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,430 $2,430

288.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,145 $2,145

141.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,228 $2,228

712.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,194 $2,194

205.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,647 $3,647

43.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

5.82

17.87%

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, TN: 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%

Cleveland, TN

$1.1K 50.5% 64.5% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Cleveland, TN

$276 12.8% 50.9% $287

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Cleveland, TN

$239 11% 45.8% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Cleveland, TN

$282 13% 22.4% $81

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Cleveland, TN

$119 5.5% 31.9% $56

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Cleveland, TN

$113 5.2% 31.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Cleveland, TN

$44 2.1% 71.5% $112

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,600 in Cleveland, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 43% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $38 in Cleveland, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $276 per month, with Cleveland, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Cleveland, TN

🕒 Local time

21:42 9:42 PM

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

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Cleveland, TN 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Cleveland, TN

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, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cleveland, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cleveland, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 43% higher in New York, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,600 in Cleveland, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $1,568 in Cleveland, TN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Cleveland, TN is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Cleveland, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.