Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Houston, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Houston, MO: $2,699 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Houston, MO
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Houston, MO Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Houston, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,699

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Houston, MO

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 Houston, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,950 in New York, NY versus $2,699 in Houston, MO.

New York, NY $4,950
Houston, MO $2,699

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,265 in New York, NY versus $3,960 in Houston, MO.

New York, NY $7,265
Houston, MO $3,960

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,581 in New York, NY versus $5,221 in Houston, MO.

New York, NY $9,581
Houston, MO $5,221

Living in New York, NY is roughly 83% more expensive than in Houston, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 267% above, Houston, MO 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$18.08 $18.08

36.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$77.5 $77.5

56.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$12.09 $12.09

15.05%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.18 $5.18

27.22%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.42 $2.42

58.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.75 $1.75

64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.60 $5.60

39.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.20 $7.20

36.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.24 $1.24

11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.80 $3.80

23.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$5.71 $5.71

32.05%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$3.90 $3.90

52.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$13.29 $13.29

41.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$15.41 $15.41

12.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$20.59 $20.59

-10.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$8.21 $8.21

-17.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.39 $2.39

-12.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$5.55 $5.55

9.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$5.26 $5.26

28.14%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.32 $4.32

-6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.96 $4.96

-11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.83 $2.83

2.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.82 $2.82

-7.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.24 $8.24

127.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$15.19 $15.19

32.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.83 $2.83

14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.22 $3.22

15.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.90 $1.90

61.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.40 $3.40

-10.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.59 $1.59

35.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$39.87 $39.87

4.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.01 $1.01

10.89%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$35.7K $35.7K

-0.77%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$24.5K $24.5K

6.30%

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

$219 $219

$244 $244

-10.09%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$68.3 $68.3

7.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$74.7 $74.7

-3.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$44.02 $44.02

178.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$13.93 $13.93

64.03%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$1,425 $1,425

133.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$23.6K $23.6K

154.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$58.8 $58.8

27.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$39.41 $39.41

32.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$87.1 $87.1

39.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$119 $119

11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$1,347 $1,347

225.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,292 $1,292

142.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$2,488 $2,488

258.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$2,150 $2,150

149.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$2,726 $2,726

611.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$2,291 $2,291

197.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.72

1.49%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Houston, MO: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Houston, MO

$1.3K 47.9% 58.7% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Houston, MO

$490 18.2% 10% $55

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Houston, MO

$302 11.2% 25.1% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Houston, MO

$387 14.3% 6.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Houston, MO

$137 5.1% 20.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Houston, MO

$72 2.7% 57.3% $97

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Houston, MO

$19 * 0.7% 88.6% $148

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 $4,389 in New York, NY and $1,347 in Houston, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $122 in New York, NY vs $78.0 in Houston, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $490 per month, with Houston, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Houston, MO

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

02:40 2:40 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

2,304,580

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Houston, MO 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Houston, MO

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 Houston, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Houston, MO is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $7,424 in New York, NY and $4,049 in Houston, MO 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: $4,389 in New York, NY versus $1,347 in Houston, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,333 in New York, NY versus $1,425 in Houston, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Houston, MO – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $122 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

For families, Houston, MO 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.

Expats usually find Houston, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.