Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingston, NY: $3,082 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 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
148

Cost of Living Index in Kingston, NY
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Kingston, NY Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Kingston, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $3,082 in Kingston, NY.

New York, NY $4,941
Kingston, NY $3,082

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $4,513 in Kingston, NY.

New York, NY $7,225
Kingston, NY $4,513

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $5,943 in Kingston, NY.

New York, NY $9,509
Kingston, NY $5,943

Living in New York, NY is roughly 60% more expensive than in Kingston, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Kingston, NY 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.17 $25.17

13.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$78.5 $78.5

50.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.86 $14.86

1.21%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.17 $6.17

5.83%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.67 $2.67

48.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.36 $2.36

27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.11 $8.11

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.93 $8.93

10.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.98 $0.98

39.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.72 $4.72

5.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$6.59 $6.59

18.51%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.48 $4.48

33.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$15.84 $15.84

19.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.65 $10.65

69.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$17.20 $17.20

10.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.80 $4.80

40.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.27 $1.27

78.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.73 $4.73

44.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.74 $6.74

5.19%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.77 $3.77

11.94%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.39 $3.39

37.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.54 $2.54

12.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.86 $1.86

39.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.96 $16.96

10.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.17 $15.17

32.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.94 $1.94

77.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.48 $3.48

15.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.09 $2.09

39.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$61.1 $61.1

127.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.19 $3.19

-3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.82 $1.82

16.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$26.48 $26.48

58.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.90 $0.90

30.00%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$31.5K $31.5K

9.62%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.5K $25.5K

1.46%

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

$219 $219

$210 $210

4.29%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$67.2 $67.2

10.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$79.0 $79.0

-11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$43.10 $43.10

159.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$58.9 $58.9

27.01%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.95 $14.95

48.09%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,452 $2,452

45.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.2K $23.2K

167.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$49.02 $49.02

54.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$29.80 $29.80

71.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$81.9 $81.9

50.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$77.3 $77.3

80.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,861 $1,861

141.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,630 $1,630

88.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,292 $3,292

186.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,715 $2,715

91.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$3,221 $3,221

462.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$3,238 $3,238

106.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,109 $3,109

67.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.68

2.69%

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 Kingston, 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%

Kingston, NY

$1.6K 52.9% 47.1% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Kingston, NY

$435 14.1% 22.7% $128

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Kingston, NY

$399 12.9% 9.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Kingston, NY

$357 11.6% 2% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Kingston, NY

$107 3.5% 38.9% $68

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Kingston, NY

$82 2.7% 50.3% $83

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Kingston, NY

$73 2.4% 53.3% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,861 in Kingston, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 68% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $79 in Kingston, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $435 per month, with Kingston, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Kingston, NY

🕒 Local time

09:37 9:37 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

23,436

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Kingston, NY 140 km

From you

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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 Kingston, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston, NY is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 68% 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 $1,861 in Kingston, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $3,082 in Kingston, NY – Kingston, NY is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kingston, NY runs roughly 56% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

For families, Kingston, NY 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 Kingston, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.