Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Great Falls, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Great Falls, MT: $2,223 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Great Falls, MT
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Great Falls, MT Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,223 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Great Falls, MT $2,223

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,105 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Great Falls, MT $3,105

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $3,987 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Great Falls, MT $3,987

New York, NY costs about 121% more than Great Falls, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Great Falls, MT sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Great Falls, MT by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$15.08 $15.08

78.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$39.24 $39.24

197.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$9.70 $9.70

50.52%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$4.38 $4.38

49.32%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.45 $2.45

57.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.95 $1.95

51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.97 $5.97

35.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$6.09 $6.09

61.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.11 $1.11

18.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.33 $3.33

49.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$5.00 $5.00

54.00%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$3.27 $3.27

86.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$16.62 $16.62

17.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$10.19 $10.19

72.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$12.15 $12.15

66.75%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.96 $4.96

40.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.40 $1.40

57.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.14 $4.14

62.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$2.21 $2.21

222.17%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.39 $2.39

92.89%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.91 $2.91

64.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.40 $2.40

19.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.27 $3.27

-17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$8.47 $8.47

125.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$17.94 $17.94

9.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.01 $2.01

65.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.43 $4.43

-5.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$29.78 $29.78

367.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$6.16 $6.16

-50.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.35 $1.35

62.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$39.70 $39.70

4.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.98 $0.98

15.31%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$32.7K $32.7K

5.29%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.1K $24.1K

7.31%

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

$232 $232

$131 $131

77.54%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$39.45 $39.45

80.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$68.4 $68.4

-1.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$63.4 $63.4

81.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$11.57 $11.57

93.69%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$927 $927

288.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$17.7K $17.7K

289.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$25.14 $25.14

215.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$29.60 $29.60

73.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$80.7 $80.7

50.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$64.4 $64.4

118.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,420 $1,420

220.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,111 $1,111

173.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,626 $2,626

270.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,655 $1,655

222.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,207 $2,207

725.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$2,205 $2,205

203.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$3,555 $3,555

43.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.2

11.13%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Great Falls, MT: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Great Falls, MT

$1.1K 50% 63.5% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Great Falls, MT

$392 17.7% 30.9% $175

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Great Falls, MT

$262 11.8% 38.4% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Great Falls, MT

$239 10.7% 35.7% $132

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Great Falls, MT

$90 4.1% 49% $87

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Great Falls, MT

$43 * 1.9% 74.2% $123

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Great Falls, MT

$87 3.9% 46% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,420 in Great Falls, MT. 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 43% 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 $117 in New York, NY versus $39 in Great Falls, MT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $392 – making Great Falls, MT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

14:50 2:50 PM

2 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

60,442

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Great Falls, MT 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 121% more than Great Falls, MT, 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 $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $3,334 in Great Falls, MT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Great Falls, MT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,420 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Groceries cost about 45% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY and $39 in Great Falls, MT. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,223 in Great Falls, MT. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Great Falls, MT – 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 Great Falls, MT. 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.