Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Fairfield, CA: $3,978 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $3,978 in Fairfield, CA.

New York, NY $4,906
Fairfield, CA $3,978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $5,242 in Fairfield, CA.

New York, NY $7,273
Fairfield, CA $5,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $6,507 in Fairfield, CA.

New York, NY $9,641
Fairfield, CA $6,507

Living in New York, NY is roughly 23% more expensive than in Fairfield, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Fairfield, CA 194% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$21.62 $21.62

24.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$88.7 $88.7

31.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$12.01 $12.01

21.57%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$6.94 $6.94

-5.76%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$3.49 $3.49

10.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.02 $2.02

46.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$7.98 $7.98

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.16 $7.16

37.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.41 $1.41

-7.09%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.42 $4.42

12.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.68 $4.68

64.53%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$5.54 $5.54

9.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$14.08 $14.08

38.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$15.20 $15.20

15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$17.77 $17.77

14.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$6.11 $6.11

14.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.59 $2.59

-14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$6.35 $6.35

5.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$6.60 $6.60

7.88%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.89 $3.89

18.51%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.54 $3.54

35.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.33 $2.33

23.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.06 $2.06

30.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$11.87 $11.87

61.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$10.18 $10.18

92.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.11 $2.11

57.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.12 $2.12

97.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.96 $1.96

54.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$87.1 $87.1

60.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.95 $2.95

3.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.95 $1.95

12.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$29.14 $29.14

41.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.43 $1.43

-20.98%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.2K $28.2K

22.26%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.04%

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

$232 $232

$193 $193

20.58%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$48.25 $48.25

47.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$72.9 $72.9

-7.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$125 $125

-7.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$73.7 $73.7

4.21%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$14.61 $14.61

53.39%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,293 $1,293

178.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$22.3K $22.3K

207.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$51.1 $51.1

55.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$37.08 $37.08

38.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$107 $107

12.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$112 $112

25.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$2,396 $2,396

90.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$2,432 $2,432

25.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$3,100 $3,100

214.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$2,967 $2,967

79.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$3,719 $3,719

390.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$3,665 $3,665

82.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$4,749 $4,749

7.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.48

6.33%

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 Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1% 20% $608

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7% 18.3% $104

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3% 13.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9% 15.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5% 21.7% $38

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7% 35% $58

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9% 3.5% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,555 in New York, NY and $2,396 in Fairfield, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 7% 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: $117 in New York, NY vs $89 in Fairfield, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $463 per month, with Fairfield, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

117,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Fairfield, CA 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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

Fairfield, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fairfield, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $2,396 in Fairfield, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $4,906 per month in New York, NY versus $3,978 in Fairfield, CA – Fairfield, CA is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Fairfield, CA runs roughly 38% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fairfield, 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.

Expats usually find Fairfield, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.