Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ithaca, NY: $2,893 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
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Ithaca, NY Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,893 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Ithaca, NY $2,893

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,843 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Ithaca, NY $3,843

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,792 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Ithaca, NY $4,792

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

Both New York, NY and Ithaca, NY sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Ithaca, NY by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$22.77 $22.77

25.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$79.3 $79.3

49.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.83 $10.83

38.87%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.09 $5.09

28.29%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.63 $2.63

50.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.04 $2.04

47.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.06 $5.06

61.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.39 $9.39

4.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.02 $1.02

34.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.21 $3.21

54.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$7.09 $7.09

10.16%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.96 $3.96

50.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$14.66 $14.66

28.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$6.50 $6.50

177.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$15.45 $15.45

23.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.85 $4.85

39.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.68 $1.68

35.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.45 $5.45

25.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.82 $4.82

47.10%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.15 $3.15

33.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.72 $3.72

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.29 $2.29

25.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.06 $2.06

26.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.69 $14.69

27.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.20 $14.20

41.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.85 $1.85

86.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.00 $4.00

0.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.54 $1.54

88.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$45.49 $45.49

205.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.98 $4.98

-38.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.42 $1.42

49.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$29.46 $29.46

42.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.06 $1.06

10.38%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

26.99%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.83%

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

$219 $219

$167 $167

31.30%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$46.41 $46.41

59.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$50.5 $50.5

39.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$34.65 $34.65

223.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$10.82 $10.82

104.62%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,518 $1,518

134.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$16.9K $16.9K

267.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$47.25 $47.25

60.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.06 $39.06

31.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$81.2 $81.2

51.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$107 $107

30.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,256 $2,256

99.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,661 $1,661

85.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,044 $3,044

210.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,997 $1,997

159.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,681 $2,681

575.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,035 $2,035

228.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,468 $3,468

50.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.46

6.19%

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 Ithaca, 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%

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 57.4% 46% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Ithaca, NY

$386 13.3% 31.5% $177

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Ithaca, NY

$339 11.7% 23.1% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Ithaca, NY

$264 9.1% 27.5% $100

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Ithaca, NY

$124 4.3% 29.6% $52

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Ithaca, NY

$64 2.2% 61.2% $101

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Ithaca, NY

$56 2% 64% $100

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,256 in Ithaca, NY. 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 51% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $79 in Ithaca, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $386 – making Ithaca, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

22,283

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New York, NY vs Ithaca, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY, $2,893 in Ithaca, NY – Ithaca, NY comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,340 in Ithaca, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ithaca, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,256 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY and $79 in Ithaca, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,893 in Ithaca, NY. That makes Ithaca, NY about 41% cheaper.

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

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