Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Davis, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Davis, CA: $3,316 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 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
161

Cost of Living Index in Davis, CA
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Davis, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Davis, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,316

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Davis, CA

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,316 in Davis, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Davis, CA $3,316

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,712 in Davis, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Davis, CA $4,712

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $6,107 in Davis, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Davis, CA $6,107

New York, NY costs about 49% more than Davis, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Davis, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Davis, CA by 144%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$22.69 $22.69

25.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$99.5 $99.5

19.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.87 $12.87

16.86%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.02 $5.02

30.08%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.57 $3.57

10.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.36 $2.36

27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.06 $8.06

1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.15 $8.15

20.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.33 $1.33

3.01%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.81 $3.81

30.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.20 $4.20

85.95%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.11 $5.11

16.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.06 $11.06

70.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$15.66 $15.66

15.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$17.26 $17.26

10.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.14 $5.14

31.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.65 $1.65

37.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.34 $4.34

57.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.78 $4.78

48.33%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.77 $2.77

52.35%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.08 $3.08

50.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.28 $2.28

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.22 $2.22

17.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.67 $10.67

75.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$16.12 $16.12

24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.20 $2.20

56.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.43 $3.43

17.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.48 $1.48

96.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$37.27 $37.27

272.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.40 $3.40

-9.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.52 $1.52

39.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$29.75 $29.75

41.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.39 $1.39

-15.83%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.7K $27.7K

24.69%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.1K $25.1K

3.20%

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

$219 $219

$289 $289

-24.15%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$58.5 $58.5

26.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$77.6 $77.6

-9.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$43.16 $43.16

159.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$15.40 $15.40

43.77%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,391 $1,391

155.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$24.7K $24.7K

151.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$54.3 $54.3

39.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$41.13 $41.13

24.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$94.9 $94.9

29.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$115 $115

21.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,743 $1,743

158.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,836 $1,836

67.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,453 $3,453

173.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,849 $2,849

82.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,834 $2,834

538.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$4,209 $4,209

59.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$5,088 $5,088

2.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.1

12.46%

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 Davis, CA: 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%

Davis, CA

$1.8K 55.4% 40.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Davis, CA

$429 12.9% 23.8% $134

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Davis, CA

$361 10.9% 18.1% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Davis, CA

$425 12.8% 16.9% $62

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Davis, CA

$137 4.1% 21.7% $38

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Davis, CA

$54 1.6% 67% $110

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Davis, CA

$74 2.2% 52.7% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,743 in Davis, CA. 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 3% 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 $100 in Davis, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $429 – making Davis, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Davis, CA

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

14:35 2:35 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

66,850

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Davis, CA 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Davis, CA

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 Davis, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 49%, 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 $4,975 in Davis, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Davis, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,743 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,316 in Davis, CA. That makes Davis, CA about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 73% less in Davis, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,316 in Davis, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Davis, CA – 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 Davis, CA. 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.