Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and La Crosse, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in La Crosse, WI: $2,217 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,700 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
106

Cost of Living Index in La Crosse, WI
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La Crosse, WI Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

La Crosse, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in La Crosse, WI

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 La Crosse, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,217 in La Crosse, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
La Crosse, WI $2,217

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,376 in La Crosse, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
La Crosse, WI $3,376

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,535 in La Crosse, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
La Crosse, WI $4,535

New York, NY costs about 123% more than La Crosse, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and La Crosse, WI sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, La Crosse, WI by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$15.24 $15.24

87.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$69.5 $69.5

70.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.83 $10.83

38.87%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.77 $5.77

13.17%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.10 $2.10

88.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.18 $1.18

155.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.42 $4.42

84.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.99 $5.99

64.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.73 $0.73

87.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.45 $2.45

102.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.58 $4.58

70.52%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.48 $2.48

140.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.19 $10.19

85.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$11.09 $11.09

62.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.42 $16.42

16.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.93 $4.93

37.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.11 $1.11

104.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.21 $3.21

112.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.22 $5.22

35.82%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.96 $1.96

115.31%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.35 $2.35

97.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.01 $2.01

42.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.72 $1.72

51.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.93 $9.93

89.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$10.81 $10.81

86.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.84 $1.84

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.05 $2.05

96.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.99 $0.99

193.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$35.33 $35.33

293.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.52 $3.52

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.82 $1.82

16.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$45.84 $45.84

-8.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.91 $0.91

28.57%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$33.0K $33.0K

4.55%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.4K $24.4K

5.77%

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

$219 $219

$208 $208

5.52%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$54.6 $54.6

35.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$65.7 $65.7

6.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$40.79 $40.79

174.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$3.89 $3.89

1824.42%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$11.96 $11.96

85.12%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$888 $888

300.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$63.3 $63.3

19.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$63.6 $63.6

-19.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$77.5 $77.5

58.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$118 $118

18.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$774 $774

481.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,017 $1,017

202.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,196 $2,196

330.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,917 $1,917

170.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,972 $1,972

818.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,965 $1,965

240.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,185 $4,185

24.74%

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 La Crosse, WI: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

La Crosse, WI

$1K 45.9% 67% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

La Crosse, WI

$340 15.3% 39.7% $223

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

La Crosse, WI

$271 12.2% 38.5% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

La Crosse, WI

$328 14.8% 9.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

La Crosse, WI

$145 6.5% 17.3% $30

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

La Crosse, WI

$52 2.3% 68.4% $112

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

La Crosse, WI

$65 2.9% 58.6% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $774 in La Crosse, WI. 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 25% 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 $69 in La Crosse, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $340 – making La Crosse, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 La Crosse, WI

🕒 Local time

17:12 5:12 PM

16:12 4:12 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

52,680

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY La Crosse, WI 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
La Crosse, WI

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 La Crosse, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY, $2,217 in La Crosse, WI – La Crosse, WI comes out roughly 55% 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 $3,326 in La Crosse, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Crosse, WI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $774 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Groceries cost about 66% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY and $69 in La Crosse, WI. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in La Crosse, WI, where all-in costs run around $2,217, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In La Crosse, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Crosse, WI – 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 La Crosse, WI. 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.