Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Islip, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Islip, NY: $1,259 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $44,200 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Islip, NY
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Islip, NY Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Islip, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Islip, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $1,259 in Islip, NY.

New York, NY $4,941
Islip, NY $1,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $2,207 in Islip, NY.

New York, NY $7,225
Islip, NY $2,207

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $3,154 in Islip, NY.

New York, NY $9,509
Islip, NY $3,154

Living in New York, NY is roughly 292% more expensive than in Islip, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: New York, NY is 263% above, Islip, NY is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$26.10 $26.10

9.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$122 $122

-3.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.05 $14.05

7.05%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.14 $5.14

27.04%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.85 $2.85

38.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.28 $2.28

32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.77 $7.77

5.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$10.17 $10.17

-3.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.39 $1.39

-1.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.54 $4.54

9.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.05 $4.05

92.84%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.02 $5.02

18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$18.69 $18.69

1.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$17.41 $17.41

3.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.45 $16.45

15.81%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.47 $4.47

51.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.29 $1.29

75.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$2.17 $2.17

214.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$2.91 $2.91

143.64%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.78 $1.78

137.08%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.17 $2.17

114.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.53 $1.53

87.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.10 $1.10

136.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.94 $14.94

25.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$12.96 $12.96

55.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.35 $2.35

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.76 $3.76

6.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$4.37 $4.37

-33.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.98 $2.98

3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.20 $2.20

-3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$41.26 $41.26

1.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.9K $27.9K

23.38%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.05%

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

$219 $219

$80.2 $80.2

173.72%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$71.2 $71.2

4.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$69.8 $69.8

0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$59.6 $59.6

87.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$15.83 $15.83

39.86%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$3,537 $3,537

0.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$61.6K $61.6K

0.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$44.55 $44.55

69.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$27.92 $27.92

83.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$75.0 $75.0

64.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$91.4 $91.4

52.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,989 $1,989

126.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,382 $3,382

179.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,975 $3,975

31.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.63

3.47%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Islip, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Islip, NY

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Islip, NY

$416 33% 26.2% $147

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Islip, NY

$392 31.2% 10.9% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Islip, NY

$221 17.6% 39.2% $143

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Islip, NY

$107 8.5% 38.7% $68

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Islip, NY

$31 * 2.5% 80.8% $133

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Islip, NY

$91 7.3% 41.6% $65

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 $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,989 in Islip, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 31% 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $122 in Islip, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $563 vs $416, with Islip, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Islip, NY

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

339,938

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Islip, NY 83 km

From you

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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 Islip, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islip, NY is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. The 292% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,989 in Islip, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $3,537 in Islip, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in New York, NY – a meal for two runs $118 versus $122 in Islip, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,259 in Islip, NY versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Islip, NY but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Islip, NY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Islip, NY wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.