Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Houghton, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Houghton, MI: $2,736 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Houghton, MI
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Houghton, MI Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Houghton, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Houghton, MI

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 Houghton, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,736 in Houghton, MI.

New York, NY $4,938
Houghton, MI $2,736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,593 in Houghton, MI.

New York, NY $7,273
Houghton, MI $3,593

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $4,449 in Houghton, MI.

New York, NY $9,608
Houghton, MI $4,449

Living in New York, NY is roughly 80% more expensive than in Houghton, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Houghton, MI 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$13.78 $13.78

81.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$39.55 $39.55

204.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$10.37 $10.37

32.50%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$4.13 $4.13

59.81%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.78 $2.78

37.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.62 $1.62

77.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.94 $5.94

33.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.38 $7.38

36.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.00 $1.00

37.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.18 $4.18

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$6.34 $6.34

21.29%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.94 $3.94

48.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$12.31 $12.31

56.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$10.79 $10.79

65.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$10.97 $10.97

73.47%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.09 $5.09

31.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.18 $1.18

94.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.25 $4.25

50.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.77 $4.77

41.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.80 $2.80

40.36%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.01 $3.01

50.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.21 $2.21

26.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.47 $1.47

70.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$10.18 $10.18

77.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$14.99 $14.99

34.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.95 $1.95

67.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.28 $3.28

14.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.03 $2.03

43.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.02 $3.02

1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.49 $1.49

44.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$29.22 $29.22

41.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.81 $0.81

38.27%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$25.1K $25.1K

31.81%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.34%

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

$219 $219

$280 $280

-21.76%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$57.6 $57.6

30.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$69.1 $69.1

2.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$36.96 $36.96

212.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$14.18 $14.18

50.71%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,249 $1,249

174.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$22.9K $22.9K

168.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$53.7 $53.7

39.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.58 $41.58

25.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$87.0 $87.0

34.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$108 $108

24.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,833 $1,833

137.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,484 $1,484

109.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,318 $2,318

292.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,967 $1,967

173.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$1,546 $1,546

1146.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$1,550 $1,550

348.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$2,603 $2,603

101.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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 Houghton, MI: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Houghton, MI

$1.5K 54.2% 52.4% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Houghton, MI

$377 13.8% 31.7% $175

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Houghton, MI

$253 9.3% 37.8% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Houghton, MI

$407 14.9% 11.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Houghton, MI

$131 4.8% 23.2% $39

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Houghton, MI

$19 * 0.7% 89% $150

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Houghton, MI

$65 2.4% 58.7% $93

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,833 in Houghton, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 101% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $120 in New York, NY vs $40.00 in Houghton, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $377 per month, with Houghton, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Houghton, MI

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Houghton, MI 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Houghton, MI

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 Houghton, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Houghton, MI is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 101% higher in New York, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,833 in Houghton, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,938 per month in New York, NY versus $2,736 in Houghton, MI – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Houghton, MI is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, New York, NY and Houghton, MI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Houghton, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.