Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Downey, CA: $3,058 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 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
147

Cost of Living Index in Downey, CA
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Downey, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Downey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $3,058 in Downey, CA.

New York, NY $4,941
Downey, CA $3,058

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $4,673 in Downey, CA.

New York, NY $7,225
Downey, CA $4,673

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $6,289 in Downey, CA.

New York, NY $9,509
Downey, CA $6,289

Living in New York, NY is roughly 62% more expensive than in Downey, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Downey, CA 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.21 $25.21

13.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$80.0 $80.0

48.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.90 $14.90

0.94%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.67 $5.67

15.17%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.04 $3.04

30.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.44 $2.44

23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.37 $7.37

10.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.34 $9.34

5.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.10 $1.10

24.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.97 $3.97

25.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.75 $4.75

64.42%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.87 $4.87

22.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.90 $12.90

46.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$13.01 $13.01

38.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$15.33 $15.33

24.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.70 $4.70

43.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.66 $1.66

36.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.11 $4.11

66.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.50 $5.50

28.91%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.74 $3.74

12.83%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.05 $3.05

52.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.99 $1.99

44.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.22 $2.22

17.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.55 $11.55

62.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.72 $14.72

36.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.00 $2.00

72.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.12 $4.12

-2.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$6.09 $6.09

-49.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.50 $1.50

-22.00%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.8K $28.8K

19.74%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.9K $26.9K

-3.96%

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

$219 $219

$169 $169

29.86%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$68.3 $68.3

8.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$72.6 $72.6

-3.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$35.23 $35.23

217.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$15.33 $15.33

44.42%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,159 $1,159

206.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$59.0 $59.0

28.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$44.13 $44.13

16.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$93.3 $93.3

32.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$145 $145

-3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,989 $1,989

126.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,715 $1,715

79.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,721 $3,721

153.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,279 $3,279

58.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$5,713 $5,713

216.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$5,622 $5,622

19.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,281 $4,281

21.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.39

7.36%

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 Downey, CA: 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%

Downey, CA

$1.7K 56.1% 44.3% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Downey, CA

$416 13.6% 26.1% $147

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Downey, CA

$392 12.8% 11% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Downey, CA

$310 10.1% 14.8% $54

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Downey, CA

$153 5% 12.5% $22

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Downey, CA

$6.1 * 0.2% 96.3% $158

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Downey, CA

$66 2.2% 57.8% $90

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 $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,989 in Downey, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 22% 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 $80 in Downey, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $416 per month, with Downey, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Downey, CA

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

114,355

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Downey, CA 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Downey, 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 Downey, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Downey, CA is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $1,989 in Downey, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $3,058 in Downey, CA – Downey, CA is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Downey, CA 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.

It comes down to priorities – Downey, CA wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.