Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Dearborn, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Dearborn, MI: $2,625 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Dearborn, MI
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Dearborn, MI Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Dearborn, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Dearborn, MI

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,625 in Dearborn, MI, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Dearborn, MI $2,625

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,801 in Dearborn, MI, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Dearborn, MI $3,801

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,978 in Dearborn, MI, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Dearborn, MI $4,978

New York, NY costs about 88% more than Dearborn, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Dearborn, MI sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Dearborn, MI by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$18.32 $18.32

55.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$62.5 $62.5

89.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.10 $11.10

35.50%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.73 $5.73

13.96%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.63 $2.63

50.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.96 $1.96

53.57%

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

$7.94 $7.94

23.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.85 $0.85

61.18%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.30 $3.30

50.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.45 $4.45

75.51%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.87 $3.87

54.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.32 $13.32

41.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$11.14 $11.14

61.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.62 $16.62

14.62%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.02 $5.02

34.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.53 $1.53

48.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.15 $4.15

64.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.92 $3.92

80.87%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.55 $2.55

65.49%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.01 $3.01

54.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.20 $2.20

30.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.08 $2.08

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.24 $10.24

83.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.81 $14.81

35.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.44 $2.44

41.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.38 $3.38

18.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.96 $1.96

48.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$63.1 $63.1

120.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.80 $2.80

10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.58 $1.58

34.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$23.55 $23.55

78.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.08 $1.08

8.33%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

1.26%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.54%

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

$219 $219

$216 $216

1.45%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$59.3 $59.3

25.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$68.3 $68.3

2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$40.28 $40.28

177.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$13.48 $13.48

64.24%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,253 $1,253

183.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$32.4K $32.4K

92.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$59.9 $59.9

26.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.78 $40.78

25.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$97.3 $97.3

26.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$117 $117

19.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,551 $1,551

190.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,292 $1,292

138.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,501 $2,501

277.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,136 $2,136

143.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,922 $1,922

842.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,907 $1,907

250.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,757 $3,757

38.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.49

5.70%

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 Dearborn, MI: 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%

Dearborn, MI

$1.3K 49.2% 58% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Dearborn, MI

$387 14.7% 31.3% $176

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Dearborn, MI

$312 11.9% 29.1% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Dearborn, MI

$344 13.1% 5.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Dearborn, MI

$142 5.4% 19.3% $34

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Dearborn, MI

$82 3.1% 50.3% $83

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Dearborn, MI

$67 2.6% 57% $89

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,551 in Dearborn, MI. 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 39% 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 Dearborn, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $387 – making Dearborn, MI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Dearborn, MI

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

92,382

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Dearborn, MI 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Dearborn, MI

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 Dearborn, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 88%, 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 $3,937 in Dearborn, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dearborn, MI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,551 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,253 in Dearborn, MI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,625 in Dearborn, MI. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Dearborn, MI – 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 Dearborn, MI. 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.