Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Glendale, CA: $3,293 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 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
158

Cost of Living Index in Glendale, CA
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Glendale, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,293

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $3,293 in Glendale, CA.

New York, NY $4,941
Glendale, CA $3,293

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $4,921 in Glendale, CA.

New York, NY $7,225
Glendale, CA $4,921

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $6,548 in Glendale, CA.

New York, NY $9,509
Glendale, CA $6,548

Living in New York, NY is roughly 50% more expensive than in Glendale, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Glendale, CA 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$24.54 $24.54

16.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$78.9 $78.9

50.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.74 $14.74

2.04%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.94 $5.94

9.93%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.17 $3.17

24.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.31 $2.31

30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.22 $7.22

13.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.81 $9.81

0.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.40 $1.40

-2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.94 $4.94

0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.66 $4.66

67.60%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.47 $5.47

9.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.44 $11.44

65.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$8.77 $8.77

105.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$20.00 $20.00

-4.75%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.83 $4.83

39.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.33 $2.33

-2.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.98 $3.98

71.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.60 $5.60

26.61%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.37 $3.37

25.22%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.87 $2.87

62.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.00 $2.00

43.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.47 $2.47

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.01 $12.01

56.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.06 $15.06

33.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.42 $2.42

42.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.66 $2.66

51.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.98 $0.98

196.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$62.6 $62.6

121.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.07 $3.07

0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.91 $1.91

10.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$32.68 $32.68

28.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.63 $1.63

-28.22%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$29.2K $29.2K

18.16%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.4K $26.4K

-2.17%

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

$219 $219

$214 $214

2.56%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$77.9 $77.9

-4.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$73.8 $73.8

-4.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$14.95 $14.95

648.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$18.55 $18.55

19.35%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,195 $1,195

197.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$32.8K $32.8K

89.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$62.8 $62.8

20.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$47.22 $47.22

8.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$120 $120

2.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$198 $198

-29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,987 $2,987

50.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,789 $1,789

72.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$4,867 $4,867

94.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,253 $3,253

59.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,875 $2,875

529.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,351 $2,351

184.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$5,154 $5,154

1.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.53

5.05%

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 Glendale, 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%

Glendale, CA

$1.8K 54.3% 41.9% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Glendale, CA

$425 12.9% 24.5% $138

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Glendale, CA

$389 11.8% 11.5% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Glendale, CA

$366 11.1% 0.5% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Glendale, CA

$193 5.9% 9.9% $17

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Glendale, CA

$79 2.4% 51.8% $85

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Glendale, CA

$52 1.6% 66.7% $104

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $2,987 in Glendale, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $79 in Glendale, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $425 per month, with Glendale, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Glendale, CA

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

03:43 3:43 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

200,831

💱 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 Glendale, CA 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Glendale, CA is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $7,412 in New York, NY and $4,940 in Glendale, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,987 in Glendale, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Glendale, CA runs roughly 55% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $1,195 in Glendale, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Glendale, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Glendale, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.