Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbus, OH: $2,491 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,400 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, OH
Learn more

Columbus, OH Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Columbus, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,491 in Columbus, OH, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Columbus, OH $2,491

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,714 in Columbus, OH, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Columbus, OH $3,714

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $4,936 in Columbus, OH, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Columbus, OH $4,936

New York, NY costs about 98% more than Columbus, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Columbus, OH sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Columbus, OH by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$22.03 $22.03

13.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$77.8 $77.8

54.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$11.86 $11.86

15.85%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.49 $5.49

20.22%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.54 $2.54

50.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.99 $1.99

44.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.87 $5.87

35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.19 $7.19

39.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.90 $0.90

52.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.13 $3.13

51.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$5.27 $5.27

45.92%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.78 $3.78

55.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$13.83 $13.83

39.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$14.55 $14.55

22.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$15.83 $15.83

20.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$6.42 $6.42

4.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.73 $1.73

32.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$6.05 $6.05

5.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.81 $4.81

40.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.84 $2.84

38.38%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.45 $3.45

31.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.17 $2.17

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.37 $2.37

5.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$10.06 $10.06

79.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$16.46 $16.46

22.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.12 $2.12

53.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.01 $3.01

24.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.98 $1.98

47.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$63.2 $63.2

125.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.92 $2.92

4.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.30 $1.30

66.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$27.20 $27.20

51.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.00 $1.00

12.00%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$31.0K $31.0K

6.73%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.24%

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

$219 $219

$222 $222

-1.41%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$65.4 $65.4

15.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$67.8 $67.8

3.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$35.63 $35.63

224.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$41.46 $41.46

63.10%

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$13.23 $13.23

61.53%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,610 $1,610

113.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$33.9K $33.9K

81.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$48.89 $48.89

53.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.71 $41.71

25.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$80.2 $80.2

45.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$109 $109

23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,543 $1,543

181.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,096 $1,096

184.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,398 $2,398

279.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,839 $1,839

192.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$3,398 $3,398

467.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$1,763 $1,763

293.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$3,995 $3,995

31.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.64

3.16%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Columbus, OH: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Columbus, OH

$1.1K 44% 64.8% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Columbus, OH

$431 17.3% 21.9% $121

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Columbus, OH

$340 13.6% 16.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Columbus, OH

$356 14.3% 2.6% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Columbus, OH

$126 5.1% 26% $44

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Columbus, OH

$81 3.2% 52.1% $88

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Columbus, OH

$62 2.5% 60.8% $96

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,543 in Columbus, 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 31% 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 $120 in New York, NY versus $78.0 in Columbus, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $431 – making Columbus, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Columbus, OH

🕒 Local time

07:40 7:40 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

905,748

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Columbus, OH 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 98% more than Columbus, OH, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $3,737 in Columbus, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Columbus, OH, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,491 in Columbus, OH. That's a gap of about 98%.

Public transport costs about 126% less in Columbus, OH. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,491 in Columbus, OH. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Columbus, OH costs $2,491 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Columbus, 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.