Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Fort Lauderdale, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Lauderdale, FL: $3,414 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Fort Lauderdale, FL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Fort Lauderdale, FL

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 Lauderdale, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Fort Lauderdale, FL $3,414

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $5,025 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Fort Lauderdale, FL $5,025

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $6,636 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Fort Lauderdale, FL $6,636

New York, NY costs about 45% more than Fort Lauderdale, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Fort Lauderdale, FL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Fort Lauderdale, FL by 151%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$29.40 $29.40

-2.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$99.7 $99.7

18.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.55 $14.55

3.37%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.10 $5.10

28.04%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.99 $2.99

32.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.17 $2.17

38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.13 $6.13

33.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$6.93 $6.93

41.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.02 $1.02

34.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.03 $5.03

-1.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.75 $3.75

108.27%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.90 $4.90

21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$17.22 $17.22

9.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.33 $10.33

74.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$26.42 $26.42

-27.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.47 $6.47

4.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.95 $1.95

16.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.36 $4.36

56.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.33 $5.33

33.02%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.89 $2.89

46.02%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.17 $3.17

46.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.66 $2.66

7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.79 $1.79

45.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.52 $9.52

97.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$11.81 $11.81

70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.00 $3.00

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.12 $2.12

89.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.05 $2.05

41.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$71.0 $71.0

95.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.01 $4.01

-23.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.81 $1.81

17.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$23.92 $23.92

75.42%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

21.75%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.91%

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

$219 $219

$212 $212

3.59%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$64.8 $64.8

14.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$80.7 $80.7

-13.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$42.90 $42.90

160.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$14.34 $14.34

422.04%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$17.92 $17.92

23.55%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,026 $1,026

246.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$41.2K $41.2K

50.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$46.35 $46.35

63.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$41.77 $41.77

22.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$87.5 $87.5

40.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$116 $116

20.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,687 $2,687

67.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,893 $1,893

62.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$4,985 $4,985

89.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,168 $3,168

63.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$5,795 $5,795

212.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$4,254 $4,254

57.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,757 $4,757

9.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.63

3.47%

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 Lauderdale, FL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$1.9K 55.5% 38.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$456 13.4% 19% $107

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$405 11.9% 7.9% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$357 10.5% 1.8% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$131 3.9% 25.1% $44

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$92 2.7% 43.8% $72

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$79 2.3% 49.6% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. 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 10% 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 $100 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $456 – making Fort Lauderdale, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Fort Lauderdale, FL

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

165,521

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Fort Lauderdale, FL 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Fort Lauderdale, FL

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 Lauderdale, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 45% more than Fort Lauderdale, FL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $5,121 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fort Lauderdale, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,687 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,026 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Fort Lauderdale, FL – 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL. 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.