Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Florence, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Florence, SC: $2,292 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,800 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Florence, SC
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Florence, SC Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Florence, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Florence, SC

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 Florence, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,292 in Florence, SC.

New York, NY $4,938
Florence, SC $2,292

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,228 in Florence, SC.

New York, NY $7,273
Florence, SC $3,228

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $4,164 in Florence, SC.

New York, NY $9,608
Florence, SC $4,164

Living in New York, NY is roughly 115% more expensive than in Florence, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Florence, SC 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$15.13 $15.13

65.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$64.5 $64.5

86.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$10.80 $10.80

27.22%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$4.65 $4.65

41.94%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.53 $2.53

50.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.02 $2.02

42.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$4.89 $4.89

62.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.18 $7.18

40.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.00 $1.00

37.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.18 $4.18

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$6.07 $6.07

26.69%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$5.34 $5.34

9.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$11.49 $11.49

67.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$14.67 $14.67

21.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$24.96 $24.96

-23.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$6.55 $6.55

2.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.79 $1.79

27.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$7.14 $7.14

-10.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$6.15 $6.15

9.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.26 $4.26

-7.75%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.19 $6.19

-26.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.31 $2.31

20.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.05 $3.05

-17.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$8.58 $8.58

110.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$14.61 $14.61

37.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.95 $1.95

67.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$5.71 $5.71

-34.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$7.11 $7.11

-56.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.89 $1.89

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.04 $1.04

7.69%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.4K $27.4K

21.01%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.28%

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

$219 $219

$283 $283

-22.43%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$54.9 $54.9

37.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$41.67 $41.67

69.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$14.95 $14.95

42.94%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,304 $1,304

163.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$39.95 $39.95

87.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$30.31 $30.31

72.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$106 $106

10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$70.0 $70.0

92.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$956 $956

354.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$985 $985

216.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$1,462 $1,462

523.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,362 $1,362

295.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$1,582 $1,582

1118.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$1,580 $1,580

339.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$3,115 $3,115

68.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Florence, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Florence, SC

$985 43% 68.4% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Florence, SC

$504 22% 8.7% $48

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Florence, SC

$266 11.6% 34.6% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Florence, SC

$379 16.6% 3.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Florence, SC

$111 4.8% 35% $60

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Florence, SC

$17 * 0.7% 90.2% $152

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Florence, SC

$30 * 1.3% 81.1% $128

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 $4,347 in New York, NY and $956 in Florence, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 68% 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: $120 in New York, NY vs $65.0 in Florence, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $504 per month, with Florence, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Florence, SC

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

40,184

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Florence, SC 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Florence, SC

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 Florence, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Florence, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 115% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Florence, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 68% 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: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $956 in Florence, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,432 in New York, NY versus $1,304 in Florence, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Florence, SC – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $120 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,292 in Florence, SC versus $4,938 in New York, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Florence, SC but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Florence, SC the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Florence, SC delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,292 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Florence, SC hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Florence, SC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.