Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Katy, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Katy, TX: $2,451 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY, United States
Katy, TX, United States
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,906
/mo nomad
Katy, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,451
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Katy, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,451 in Katy, TX, rent included.

  • New York, NY $4,906
  • Katy, TX $2,451

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,581 in Katy, TX, rent included.

  • New York, NY $7,273
  • Katy, TX $3,581

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $4,711 in Katy, TX, rent included.

  • New York, NY $9,641
  • Katy, TX $4,711

New York, NY costs about 100% more than Katy, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Katy, TX sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Katy, TX by 81%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Katy, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.93 $26.93
$16.88 $16.88
59.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$117 $117
$60.6 $60.6
92.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.60 $14.60
$8.85 $8.85
64.97%
Cappuccino
$6.54 $6.54
$3.49 $3.49
87.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86 $3.86
$1.98 $1.98
94.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 $2.95
$2.13 $2.13
38.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.08 $8.08
$4.07 $4.07
98.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.85 $9.85
$5.53 $5.53
78.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Katy, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 $1.31
$0.95 $0.95
37.89%
White Bread (500g)
$4.97 $4.97
$3.53 $3.53
40.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.70 $7.70
$3.06 $3.06
151.63%
Eggs
$6.09 $6.09
$3.05 $3.05
99.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.55 $19.55
$13.08 $13.08
49.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.59 $17.59
$9.66 $9.66
82.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.26 $20.26
$16.72 $16.72
21.17%
Apples (1kg)
$6.99 $6.99
$3.83 $3.83
82.51%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.24 $1.24
78.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.72 $6.72
$3.12 $3.12
115.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.12 $7.12
$3.25 $3.25
119.08%
Potato (1kg)
$4.61 $4.61
$2.10 $2.10
119.52%
Onion (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$2.49 $2.49
91.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.87 $2.87
$1.78 $1.78
61.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.69 $2.69
$1.22 $1.22
120.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.14 $19.14
$9.68 $9.68
97.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.63 $19.63
$12.75 $12.75
53.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.32 $3.32
$1.70 $1.70
95.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.58 $1.58
165.19%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Katy, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.02 $3.02
$2.02 $2.02
49.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 $139
$107 $107
30.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 $3.04
$2.68 $2.68
13.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.58 $1.58
39.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.33 $41.33
$35.07 $35.07
17.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$0.85 $0.85
32.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K $34.5K
$32.3K $32.3K
6.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$24.5K $24.5K
5.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Katy, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$232 $232
$246 $246
-5.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$71.0 $71.0
$58.9 $58.9
20.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.7 $67.7
$70.7 $70.7
-4.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Katy, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$115 $115
$25.59 $25.59
350.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$76.8 $76.8
$25.19 $25.19
204.92%
Cinema Ticket
$22.41 $22.41
$11.91 $11.91
88.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Katy, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,606 $3,606
$1,009 $1,009
257.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$68.7K $68.7K
$17.8K $17.8K
287.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Katy, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.3 $79.3
$52.8 $52.8
50.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.4 $51.4
$43.00 $43.00
19.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 $121
$86.9 $86.9
39.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 $140
$109 $109
28.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Katy, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,555 $4,555
$1,544 $1,544
195.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,040 $3,040
$1,186 $1,186
156.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$9,742 $9,742
$2,750 $2,750
254.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,331 $5,331
$2,026 $2,026
163.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.2K $18.2K
$2,098 $2,098
768.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,685 $6,685
$1,542 $1,542
333.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Katy, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,096 $5,096
$4,102 $4,102
24.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.89
6.41
7.49%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Katy, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3K
Katy, TX
$1.2K 61% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$567
Katy, TX
$332 41.4% $235
Eating Out
New York, NY
$425
Katy, TX
$251 40.9% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$371
Katy, TX
$375 1.1% $4.2
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$176
Katy, TX
$131 25.6% $45
Getting Around
New York, NY
$165
Katy, TX
$125 24.2% $40
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$160
Katy, TX
$49 69.1% $111

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,544 in Katy, TX. 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 24% 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 $117 in New York, NY versus $61 in Katy, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $332 – making Katy, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇺🇸 Katy, TX
🕒 Local time
21:18 9:18 PM
20:18 8:18 PM
1 h behind New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
14,102
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Katy, TX 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Katy, TX

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 Katy, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, New York, NY or Katy, TX?
New York, NY costs about 100% more than Katy, TX, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in New York, NY and in Katy, TX?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $3,677 in Katy, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, New York, NY or Katy, TX?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Katy, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,544 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.
Are groceries more expensive in New York, NY or in Katy, TX?
Groceries cost about 71% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in New York, NY and in Katy, TX?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY and $61 in Katy, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in New York, NY or in Katy, TX?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,451 in Katy, TX. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Katy, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to New York, NY or to Katy, TX?
If budget matters most, go with Katy, TX. 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.

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