Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Covington, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Covington, LA: $2,657 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 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
129

Cost of Living Index in Covington, LA
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Covington, LA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Covington, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Covington, LA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,657 in Covington, LA.

New York, NY $4,938
Covington, LA $2,657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,774 in Covington, LA.

New York, NY $7,273
Covington, LA $3,774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $4,890 in Covington, LA.

New York, NY $9,608
Covington, LA $4,890

Living in New York, NY is roughly 86% more expensive than in Covington, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Covington, LA 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$18.71 $18.71

33.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$55.6 $55.6

116.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$11.85 $11.85

15.95%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$3.10 $3.10

112.90%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.79 $1.79

113.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.42 $1.42

102.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$4.02 $4.02

97.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$5.23 $5.23

92.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.88 $0.88

55.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.47 $3.47

36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$2.72 $2.72

182.72%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.25 $3.25

80.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$5.07 $5.07

279.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$7.27 $7.27

145.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$13.76 $13.76

38.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.13 $4.13

61.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.80 $0.80

186.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$2.60 $2.60

146.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.17 $4.17

61.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.64 $2.64

48.86%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.69 $2.69

68.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.11 $2.11

32.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.20 $2.20

14.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$9.00 $9.00

101.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.12 $15.12

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.94 $1.94

68.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.91 $3.91

-4.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.55 $2.55

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.59 $1.59

35.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$25.85 $25.85

59.88%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

-10.10%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.22%

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

$219 $219

$302 $302

-27.44%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$50.3 $50.3

49.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$70.7 $70.7

-0.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$64.8 $64.8

78.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$10.33 $10.33

106.87%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$613 $613

459.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$14.0K $14.0K

341.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$46.59 $46.59

60.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.91 $39.91

30.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$83.6 $83.6

39.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$96.7 $96.7

39.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,693 $1,693

156.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,440 $1,440

116.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$3,233 $3,233

181.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,433 $2,433

121.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$6,853 $6,853

181.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$4,051 $4,051

71.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$4,813 $4,813

8.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.54

4.74%

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 Covington, LA: 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%

Covington, LA

$1.4K 54.2% 53.8% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Covington, LA

$313 11.8% 43.4% $240

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Covington, LA

$266 10% 34.7% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Covington, LA

$423 15.9% 15.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Covington, LA

$120 4.5% 29.5% $50

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Covington, LA

$10 * 0.4% 93.8% $158

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Covington, LA

$85 3.2% 46% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,693 in Covington, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 9% 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: $120 in New York, NY vs $56.0 in Covington, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $313 per month, with Covington, LA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Covington, LA

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

08:57 8:57 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

7,870

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Covington, LA 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Covington, LA

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 Covington, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Covington, LA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,693 in Covington, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,938 per month in New York, NY versus $2,657 in Covington, LA – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Covington, LA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Covington, LA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Covington, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.