Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Fullerton, CA: $3,469 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
168

Cost of Living Index in Fullerton, CA
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Fullerton, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Fullerton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Fullerton, 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 Fullerton, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,469 in Fullerton, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Fullerton, CA $3,469

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $5,407 in Fullerton, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Fullerton, CA $5,407

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $7,345 in Fullerton, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Fullerton, CA $7,345

New York, NY costs about 42% more than Fullerton, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Fullerton, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Fullerton, CA by 155%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.40 $25.40

12.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$78.1 $78.1

51.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.52 $11.52

30.56%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.62 $5.62

16.19%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.80 $2.80

41.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.03 $2.03

48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.76 $7.76

5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.65 $9.65

1.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.35 $1.35

1.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.08 $5.08

-2.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.30 $4.30

81.63%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.06 $5.06

17.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.65 $12.65

49.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.02 $9.02

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$15.39 $15.39

23.78%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.68 $4.68

44.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.72 $1.72

31.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.13 $4.13

65.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.37 $6.37

11.30%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.62 $3.62

16.57%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.20 $3.20

45.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.09 $2.09

37.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.56 $2.56

1.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.93 $11.93

57.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.26 $15.26

31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.77 $1.77

94.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.12 $3.12

28.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.27 $2.27

28.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$64.7 $64.7

114.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.48 $4.48

-31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.82 $1.82

16.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$35.65 $35.65

17.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.45 $1.45

-19.31%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.8K $27.8K

23.88%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.4K $26.4K

-2.08%

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

$219 $219

0.33%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$86.9 $86.9

-14.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$73.4 $73.4

-4.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$39.81 $39.81

181.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$11.84 $11.84

86.99%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,423 $1,423

149.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$42.9K $42.9K

44.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$73.0 $73.0

3.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$41.30 $41.30

23.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$91.8 $91.8

34.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$121 $121

15.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,598 $2,598

73.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,994 $1,994

54.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$4,040 $4,040

133.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$4,127 $4,127

25.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$5,397 $5,397

235.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,517 $4,517

15.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.31

8.72%

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 Fullerton, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Fullerton, CA

$2K 57.5% 35.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Fullerton, CA

$415 12% 26.3% $148

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Fullerton, CA

$383 11% 13.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Fullerton, CA

$379 10.9% 4.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Fullerton, CA

$147 4.2% 16.1% $28

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Fullerton, CA

$87 2.5% 46.8% $77

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Fullerton, CA

$63 1.8% 59.4% $93

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,598 in Fullerton, 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 16% 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 $78 in Fullerton, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $415 – making Fullerton, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Fullerton, CA

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

06:27 6:27 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

135,161

💱 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 Fullerton, CA 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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 Fullerton, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY, $3,469 in Fullerton, CA – Fullerton, CA comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $5,204 in Fullerton, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fullerton, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,598 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

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

Groceries cost about 36% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,469 in Fullerton, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,469 in Fullerton, CA to $4,941 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Fullerton, 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.