Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Farmington Hills, MI Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Farmington Hills, MI

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,852 in New York, NY versus $2,541 in Farmington Hills, MI.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,370 in New York, NY versus $3,817 in Farmington Hills, MI.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,889 in New York, NY versus $5,094 in Farmington Hills, MI.

Living in New York, NY is roughly 91% more expensive than in Farmington Hills, MI, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 252% above, Farmington Hills, MI 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.42 $25.42

$20.32 $20.32

25.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$142 $142

$60.3 $60.3

134.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.97 $13.97

$10.40 $10.40

34.33%

Cappuccino

$6.42 $6.42

$5.10 $5.10

25.88%

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

$3.91 $3.91

$2.12 $2.12

84.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.95 $1.95

51.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$5.12 $5.12

52.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$6.01 $6.01

64.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$0.72 $0.72

84.72%

White Bread (500g)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.15 $2.15

120.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.89 $6.89

$4.61 $4.61

49.46%

Eggs

$5.63 $5.63

$2.83 $2.83

98.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 $17.39

$9.61 $9.61

80.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.02 $15.02

$11.61 $11.61

29.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 $17.97

$13.29 $13.29

35.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$5.35 $5.35

12.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.06 $1.06

102.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$6.81 $6.81

-13.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$5.87 $5.87

5.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$6.67 $6.67

-49.03%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.67 $4.67

-8.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.93 $1.93

38.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.52 $1.52

59.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.70 $18.70

$8.98 $8.98

108.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.72 $19.72

$12.82 $12.82

53.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.02 $2.02

60.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.56 $2.56

52.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.07 $3.07

-3.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$66.2 $66.2

109.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$5.29 $5.29

-42.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.54 $1.54

44.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$48.66 $48.66

-15.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.95 $0.95

13.68%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

0.01%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$24.9K $24.9K

0.53%

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

$236 $236

$117 $117

101.14%

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

$73.5 $73.5

$36.75 $36.75

99.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.1 $76.1

$61.7 $61.7

23.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$128 $128

$76.2 $76.2

68.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$63.5 $63.5

$35.64 $35.64

78.06%

Cinema Ticket

$23.19 $23.19

$9.48 $9.48

144.62%

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

$3,340 $3,340

$1,618 $1,618

106.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$59.9K $59.9K

$16.7K $16.7K

258.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 $72.8

$57.6 $57.6

26.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$21.61 $21.61

150.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$45.55 $45.55

160.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$148 $148

-15.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,467 $4,467

$1,543 $1,543

189.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,988 $2,988

$1,292 $1,292

131.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,222 $9,222

$2,726 $2,726

238.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,537 $5,537

$2,341 $2,341

136.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.9K $18.9K

$2,968 $2,968

536.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,621 $6,621

$1,708 $1,708

287.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,327 $5,327

$5,195 $5,195

2.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.04

7.45%

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

Last update for New York, NY: September 7, 2026

Last update for Farmington Hills, MI: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,467 in New York, NY and $1,543 in Farmington Hills, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 3% 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: $142 in New York, NY vs $60.0 in Farmington Hills, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $512 vs $371 per month, with Farmington Hills, MI cheaper across the board.

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 Farmington Hills, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Farmington Hills, MI wins on cost – living expenses run 91% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Farmington Hills, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $4,467 in New York, NY versus $1,543 in Farmington Hills, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,340 in New York, NY versus $1,618 in Farmington Hills, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Farmington Hills, MI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Farmington Hills, MI delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,541 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Farmington Hills, MI hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Farmington Hills, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.