Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Federal Way, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Federal Way, WA: $3,292 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 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
160

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
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Federal Way, WA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Federal Way, WA

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 Federal Way, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,292 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Federal Way, WA $3,292

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,328 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Federal Way, WA $4,328

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,364 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Federal Way, WA $5,364

New York, NY costs about 50% more than Federal Way, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Federal Way, WA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Federal Way, WA by 142%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.43 $25.43

12.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$75.7 $75.7

56.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.64 $12.64

18.99%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.79 $5.79

12.78%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.96 $2.96

33.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.66 $1.66

81.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.20 $7.20

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.09 $7.09

38.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.11 $1.11

23.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.06 $4.06

22.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.17 $3.17

146.37%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.25 $5.25

13.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$16.13 $16.13

17.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.70 $10.70

68.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.14 $19.14

-0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.03 $5.03

34.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.57 $1.57

44.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.15 $4.15

64.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.63 $4.63

53.13%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.59 $2.59

62.93%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.46 $2.46

89.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.29 $2.29

25.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.50 $2.50

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.41 $12.41

51.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.26 $15.26

31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.78 $1.78

93.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.90 $4.90

-17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.60 $2.60

11.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.65 $2.65

16.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.71 $1.71

23.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$29.95 $29.95

40.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.31 $1.31

-10.69%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.7K $27.7K

24.30%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.2K $27.2K

-4.81%

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

$219 $219

$158 $158

38.69%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$77.5 $77.5

-4.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$87.1 $87.1

-19.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$13.02 $13.02

759.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$11.91 $11.91

85.89%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,423 $1,423

150.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

98.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$45.30 $45.30

66.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$44.29 $44.29

15.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$84.7 $84.7

45.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$101 $101

38.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,006 $2,006

124.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,987 $1,987

54.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,761 $2,761

242.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,448 $2,448

112.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,459 $4,459

17.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.64

3.31%

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 Federal Way, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.4% 35.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Federal Way, WA

$420 12.8% 25.4% $143

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Federal Way, WA

$379 11.5% 13.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Federal Way, WA

$323 9.8% 11.3% $41

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.8% 29.4% $52

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7% 86.9% $143

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1% 76.4% $119

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,006 in Federal Way, WA. 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 17% 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 $76 in Federal Way, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $420 – making Federal Way, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🕒 Local time

14:08 2:08 PM

11:08 11:08 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

101,030

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Federal Way, WA 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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New York, NY
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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 Federal Way, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 50%, 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 $4,938 in Federal Way, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Federal Way, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,006 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,292 in Federal Way, WA. That’s a gap of about 50%.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,423 in Federal Way, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,292 in Federal Way, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Federal Way, WA – 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 Federal Way, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.