Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Highlands Ranch, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Highlands Ranch, CO: $3,365 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 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
161

Cost of Living Index in Highlands Ranch, CO
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Highlands Ranch, CO Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Highlands Ranch, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Highlands Ranch, CO

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 Highlands Ranch, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Highlands Ranch, CO $3,365

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $2,987 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Highlands Ranch, CO $2,987

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $2,609 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Highlands Ranch, CO $2,609

New York, NY costs about 47% more than Highlands Ranch, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Highlands Ranch, CO sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Highlands Ranch, CO by 148%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$15.27 $15.27

63.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$79.5 $79.5

51.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$10.20 $10.20

34.71%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$6.26 $6.26

5.43%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.48 $2.48

54.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.13 $2.13

34.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.06 $5.06

57.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$6.15 $6.15

63.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.04 $1.04

31.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.89 $2.89

64.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$2.80 $2.80

174.64%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.28 $4.28

37.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$10.81 $10.81

78.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$7.20 $7.20

147.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$19.01 $19.01

0.11%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.04 $4.04

65.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.50 $1.50

52.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.86 $4.86

31.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.26 $5.26

28.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.61 $3.61

8.86%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.58 $4.58

-1.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.22 $2.22

25.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.71 $1.71

46.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$10.41 $10.41

73.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$16.42 $16.42

22.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.50 $2.50

30.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.61 $2.61

43.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.48 $2.48

23.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.89 $1.89

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$25.39 $25.39

62.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.02 $1.02

9.80%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$28.0K $28.0K

18.30%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.88%

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

$219 $219

$215 $215

2.10%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$56.8 $56.8

32.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$68.8 $68.8

2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$11.99 $11.99

78.23%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,306 $1,306

162.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$12.3K $12.3K

402.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$60.1 $60.1

24.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$68.4 $68.4

-23.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$78.5 $78.5

48.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$118 $118

14.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$2,864 $2,864

51.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$2,190 $2,190

42.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$7,275 $7,275

-28.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.7

2.24%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Highlands Ranch, CO: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$2.2K 65.1% 29.7% $927

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$368 10.9% 33.4% $184

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$284 8.4% 30.2% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$340 10.1% 6.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$146 4.4% 14.1% $24

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$12 * 0.4% 92.9% $156

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$24 * 0.7% 84.9% $134

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $2,864 in Highlands Ranch, CO. 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 39% higher in Highlands Ranch, CO, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY versus $80.0 in Highlands Ranch, CO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $368 – making Highlands Ranch, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Highlands Ranch, CO

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

16:15 4:15 PM

2 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Highlands Ranch, CO 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Highlands Ranch, CO

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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 Highlands Ranch, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY, $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $5,047 in Highlands Ranch, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Highlands Ranch, CO, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,938 in New York, NY and $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO. That's a gap of about 47%.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,306 in Highlands Ranch, CO. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO. 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 $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO to $4,938 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Highlands Ranch, CO. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.