Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Garden Grove, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Garden Grove, CA: $1,417 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $42,300 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Garden Grove, CA
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Garden Grove, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Garden Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,417

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $1,417 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Garden Grove, CA $1,417

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $2,270 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Garden Grove, CA $2,270

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $3,123 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Garden Grove, CA $3,123

New York, NY costs about 249% more than Garden Grove, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Garden Grove, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Garden Grove, CA by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.39 $25.39

12.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$78.0 $78.0

51.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.29 $11.29

33.22%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.52 $5.52

18.30%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.73 $2.73

45.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.95 $1.95

54.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.35 $7.35

11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.97 $9.97

-1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.19 $1.19

15.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.30 $5.30

-6.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.42 $4.42

76.70%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.08 $5.08

17.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.50 $12.50

51.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$8.78 $8.78

105.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$13.68 $13.68

39.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.60 $4.60

46.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.71 $1.71

32.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.97 $3.97

72.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.73 $5.73

23.73%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.54 $3.54

19.21%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.03 $3.03

53.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.15 $2.15

33.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.26 $2.26

15.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.56 $11.56

62.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.25 $15.25

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.75 $1.75

97.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.25 $3.25

23.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$5.14 $5.14

-43.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$70.3 $70.3

97.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.61 $4.61

-33.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.87 $1.87

13.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$36.22 $36.22

15.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.52 $1.52

-23.03%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.2K $28.2K

22.38%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

-0.56%

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

$219 $219

0.13%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$70.1 $70.1

5.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$69.2 $69.2

1.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$14.78 $14.78

657.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$20.05 $20.05

273.37%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$15.02 $15.02

47.40%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,190 $1,190

199.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$42.6K $42.6K

45.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$62.6 $62.6

20.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.09 $40.09

27.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$79.7 $79.7

54.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$104 $104

34.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,240 $2,240

100.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,561 $3,561

165.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,670 $4,670

11.78%

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 Garden Grove, 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%

Garden Grove, CA

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Garden Grove, CA

$401 28.3% 28.7% $162

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Garden Grove, CA

$379 26.7% 14% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Garden Grove, CA

$358 25.3% 1.5% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Garden Grove, CA

$129 9.1% 26.6% $47

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Garden Grove, CA

$105 7.4% 36.1% $59

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Garden Grove, CA

$45 3.2% 71.3% $111

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,240 in Garden Grove, 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 12% 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 Garden Grove, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $401 – making Garden Grove, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Garden Grove, CA

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

04:16 4:16 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

170,883

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Garden Grove, CA 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 249% more than Garden Grove, CA, 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 $2,125 in Garden Grove, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Garden Grove, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,240 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $1,417 in Garden Grove, CA. That makes Garden Grove, CA about 71% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Garden Grove, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $1,417 in Garden Grove, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove, 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.