Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Dubuque, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubuque, IA: $1,801 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $37,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,801

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Dubuque, IA

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 Dubuque, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $1,801 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Dubuque, IA $1,801

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $2,569 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Dubuque, IA $2,569

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $3,337 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Dubuque, IA $3,337

New York, NY costs about 172% more than Dubuque, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Dubuque, IA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Dubuque, IA by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$13.91 $13.91

93.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$49.13 $49.13

137.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$12.11 $12.11

20.56%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$4.94 $4.94

32.39%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$1.96 $1.96

96.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.00 $1.00

195.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$2.78 $2.78

190.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$4.43 $4.43

122.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$0.77 $0.77

70.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.68 $2.68

85.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$2.84 $2.84

171.13%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$2.73 $2.73

123.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$14.57 $14.57

34.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$10.15 $10.15

73.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$10.49 $10.49

93.14%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$3.25 $3.25

115.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.22 $1.22

81.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$3.25 $3.25

106.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$2.42 $2.42

194.21%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.35 $1.35

241.48%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.69 $1.69

182.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.50 $2.50

14.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.71 $1.71

57.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$8.59 $8.59

122.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$13.28 $13.28

47.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.78 $1.78

86.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.76 $2.76

51.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.85 $0.85

32.94%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$24.9K $24.9K

38.10%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-0.60%

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

$232 $232

$175 $175

32.79%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$50.8 $50.8

39.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$50.7 $50.7

33.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$37.91 $37.91

204.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$7.96 $7.96

181.53%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,471 $1,471

145.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$55.8 $55.8

42.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$34.40 $34.40

49.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$86.3 $86.3

40.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$89.5 $89.5

56.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$998 $998

356.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$800 $800

280.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$1,472 $1,472

561.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,204 $1,204

342.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$1,709 $1,709

966.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$1,768 $1,768

278.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$3,697 $3,697

37.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

5.25

31.24%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Dubuque, IA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Dubuque, IA

$800 44.4% 73.7% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Dubuque, IA

$310 17.2% 45.3% $257

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Dubuque, IA

$242 13.4% 43.2% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Dubuque, IA

$276 15.4% 25.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.6% 32.2% $57

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Dubuque, IA

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Dubuque, IA

$54 3% 66.4% $106

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $998 in Dubuque, IA. 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 38% 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 $117 in New York, NY versus $49 in Dubuque, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $310 – making Dubuque, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

07:12 7:12 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

59,667

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Dubuque, IA 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Dubuque, IA

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 Dubuque, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 172% more than Dubuque, IA, 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 $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $2,702 in Dubuque, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubuque, IA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $998 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $1,801 in Dubuque, IA. That makes Dubuque, IA about 63% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $1,471 in Dubuque, IA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubuque, IA, where all-in costs run around $1,801, than in New York, NY at $4,906. In Dubuque, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dubuque, IA – 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 Dubuque, IA. 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.