Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Fresno, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Fresno, CA: $2,811 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 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 Fresno, CA
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Fresno, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Fresno, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Fresno, CA

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 Fresno, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,811 in Fresno, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Fresno, CA $2,811

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,028 in Fresno, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Fresno, CA $4,028

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,244 in Fresno, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Fresno, CA $5,244

New York, NY costs about 76% more than Fresno, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Fresno, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Fresno, CA by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$19.74 $19.74

44.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$71.0 $71.0

66.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$13.89 $13.89

8.28%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.05 $5.05

29.31%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.92 $2.92

35.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.10 $2.10

43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.02 $7.02

16.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.12 $9.12

7.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.12 $1.12

22.32%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.69 $2.69

84.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.70 $4.70

66.17%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.47 $5.47

9.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.97 $10.97

72.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.73 $9.73

85.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$15.57 $15.57

22.35%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.09 $5.09

32.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.95 $1.95

16.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.45 $4.45

53.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.39 $3.39

109.14%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$7.91 $7.91

-46.65%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.72 $2.72

70.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.33 $2.33

23.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.99 $2.99

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.69 $11.69

60.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$17.73 $17.73

13.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.20 $2.20

56.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$6.56 $6.56

-38.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.98 $0.98

196.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$44.47 $44.47

212.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.24 $4.24

-27.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.53 $1.53

38.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$27.17 $27.17

54.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.47 $1.47

-20.41%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.4K $27.4K

25.85%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.7K $27.7K

-6.81%

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

$219 $219

$237 $237

-7.58%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$52.6 $52.6

41.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$77.1 $77.1

-8.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$33.14 $33.14

237.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$42.19 $42.19

77.44%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$17.41 $17.41

27.17%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,191 $1,191

198.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$13.0K $13.0K

378.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$60.2 $60.2

25.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.07 $43.07

18.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$95.0 $95.0

29.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$172 $172

-18.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,568 $1,568

186.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,403 $1,403

119.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,181 $2,181

333.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,195 $2,195

136.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,602 $2,602

595.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$3,070 $3,070

118.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,818 $3,818

36.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.4

7.19%

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 Fresno, CA: 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%

Fresno, CA

$1.4K 49.9% 54.4% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Fresno, CA

$413 14.7% 26.7% $150

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Fresno, CA

$334 11.9% 24.2% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Fresno, CA

$367 13.1% 0.9% $3.2

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Fresno, CA

$166 5.9% 5.1% $8.9

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Fresno, CA

$60 2.1% 63.3% $104

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Fresno, CA

$68 2.4% 56.5% $88

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,568 in Fresno, CA. 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 37% 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 $71 in Fresno, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $413 – making Fresno, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Fresno, CA

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

04:34 4:34 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

520,052

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Fresno, CA 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Fresno, CA

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 Fresno, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 76%, 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 $4,217 in Fresno, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fresno, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,568 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY and $71 in Fresno, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,811 in Fresno, CA. That makes Fresno, CA about 43% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,811 in Fresno, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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