Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Fort Collins, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Collins, CO: $2,816 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 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
136

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO.

New York, NY $4,941
Fort Collins, CO $2,816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,951 in Fort Collins, CO.

New York, NY $7,225
Fort Collins, CO $3,951

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $5,085 in Fort Collins, CO.

New York, NY $9,509
Fort Collins, CO $5,085

Living in New York, NY is roughly 75% more expensive than in Fort Collins, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Fort Collins, CO 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$22.88 $22.88

24.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$79.0 $79.0

49.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.24 $11.24

33.81%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.22 $6.22

4.98%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.54 $2.54

55.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.06 $2.06

46.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.05 $7.05

15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$6.89 $6.89

42.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.03 $1.03

33.01%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.99 $2.99

66.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.79 $2.79

179.93%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.13 $4.13

44.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.15 $11.15

69.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.23 $9.23

95.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.48 $19.48

-2.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.98 $4.98

35.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.52 $1.52

49.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.81 $4.81

42.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.35 $5.35

32.52%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.58 $3.58

17.88%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.66 $4.66

-0.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.33 $2.33

23.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.78 $1.78

46.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.32 $10.32

81.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$16.64 $16.64

20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.47 $2.47

39.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.71 $2.71

48.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.43 $2.43

26.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.90 $1.90

11.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$24.61 $24.61

70.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.02 $1.02

14.71%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.4K $28.4K

21.59%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.16%

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

$219 $219

$210 $210

4.42%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$56.6 $56.6

31.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$70.6 $70.6

-0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$51.8 $51.8

116.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$29.76 $29.76

151.55%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$11.96 $11.96

85.12%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,288 $1,288

176.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$12.6K $12.6K

394.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$59.1 $59.1

28.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$68.5 $68.5

-25.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$81.6 $81.6

50.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$114 $114

22.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,817 $1,817

147.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,499 $1,499

105.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,837 $2,837

233.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,143 $2,143

142.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$4,076 $4,076

344.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,793 $2,793

139.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,503 $4,503

15.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.77

1.33%

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 Fort Collins, CO: 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%

Fort Collins, CO

$1.5K 53.2% 51.3% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Fort Collins, CO

$388 13.8% 31.1% $175

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Fort Collins, CO

$359 12.7% 18.5% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Fort Collins, CO

$337 12% 7.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Fort Collins, CO

$145 5.2% 17.1% $30

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4% 92.7% $152

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Fort Collins, CO

$76 2.7% 51.5% $81

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 $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 16% 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $79 in Fort Collins, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $388 per month, with Fort Collins, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

11:27 11:27 AM

2 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

148,612

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Fort Collins, CO 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Collins, CO wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fort Collins, CO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO – Fort Collins, CO is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fort Collins, CO 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 Fort Collins, CO delivers better value at $2,816 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fort Collins, CO hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Fort Collins, CO wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.