Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Highland, CA: $2,866 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Highland, CA
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Highland, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Highland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,866 in Highland, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Highland, CA $2,866

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $4,109 in Highland, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Highland, CA $4,109

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $5,352 in Highland, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Highland, CA $5,352

New York, NY costs about 71% more than Highland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Highland, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Highland, CA by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$25.43 $25.43

5.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$78.5 $78.5

48.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$14.77 $14.77

-1.15%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.61 $5.61

16.58%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$3.09 $3.09

24.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.45 $2.45

20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$7.11 $7.11

13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$10.16 $10.16

-3.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.28 $1.28

2.34%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.85 $4.85

2.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.84 $4.84

59.09%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$5.48 $5.48

11.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$10.81 $10.81

80.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$8.63 $8.63

103.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$19.74 $19.74

2.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.78 $4.78

46.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.01 $4.01

67.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$5.32 $5.32

33.83%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.25 $3.25

41.85%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.79 $2.79

71.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.98 $1.98

44.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.65 $2.65

1.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$11.67 $11.67

64.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.06 $15.06

30.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.45 $2.45

35.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.77 $2.77

51.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.94 $1.94

55.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$59.9 $59.9

132.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.74 $3.74

-18.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.24 $2.24

-1.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$38.33 $38.33

7.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.59 $1.59

-28.93%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.7K $28.7K

19.90%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.01%

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

$232 $232

$217 $217

7.07%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$78.8 $78.8

-9.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$79.0 $79.0

-14.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$39.43 $39.43

192.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$18.72 $18.72

19.71%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,201 $1,201

200.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$12.8K $12.8K

436.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$63.7 $63.7

24.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$47.17 $47.17

8.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$107 $107

13.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$104 $104

35.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,468 $1,468

210.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,374 $1,374

121.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,785 $2,785

249.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$2,102 $2,102

153.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,804 $2,804

550.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$2,225 $2,225

200.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.31

9.19%

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 Highland, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Highland, CA

$1.4K 48% 54.8% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Highland, CA

$420 14.7% 25.9% $147

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Highland, CA

$393 13.7% 7.5% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Highland, CA

$375 13.1% 1% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Highland, CA

$144 5% 18.1% $32

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Highland, CA

$83 2.9% 50% $83

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Highland, CA

$77 2.7% 52% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,468 in Highland, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $79 in Highland, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $420 – making Highland, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Highland, CA

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

18:47 6:47 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

51,550

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Highland, CA 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY, $2,866 in Highland, CA – Highland, CA comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $4,300 in Highland, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Highland, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,468 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY and $79 in Highland, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,866 in Highland, CA. That makes Highland, CA about 42% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Highland, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Highland, CA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 42% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.