Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and La Plata, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in La Plata, MD: $2,441 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY, United States
La Plata, MD, United States
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,941
/mo nomad
La Plata, MD
🇺🇸 United States
$2,441
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in La Plata, MD

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 Plata, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,441 in La Plata, MD, rent included.

  • New York, NY $4,941
  • La Plata, MD $2,441

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,635 in La Plata, MD, rent included.

  • New York, NY $7,225
  • La Plata, MD $3,635

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,829 in La Plata, MD, rent included.

  • New York, NY $9,509
  • La Plata, MD $4,829

New York, NY costs about 102% more than La Plata, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and La Plata, MD sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, La Plata, MD by 79%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
La Plata, MD
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$28.55 $28.55
$13.52 $13.52
111.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 $118
$90.4 $90.4
31.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.04 $15.04
$7.62 $7.62
97.38%
Cappuccino
$6.53 $6.53
$6.29 $6.29
3.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 $3.96
$2.82 $2.82
40.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.56 $2.56
17.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.16 $8.16
$3.46 $3.46
135.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.84 $9.84
$4.96 $4.96
98.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
La Plata, MD
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 $1.37
$1.68 $1.68
-18.45%
White Bread (500g)
$4.97 $4.97
$4.42 $4.42
12.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.81 $7.81
$6.23 $6.23
25.36%
Eggs
$5.97 $5.97
$1.81 $1.81
229.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.91 $18.91
$12.70 $12.70
48.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.04 $18.04
$8.81 $8.81
104.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.05 $19.05
$13.15 $13.15
44.87%
Apples (1kg)
$6.76 $6.76
$4.89 $4.89
38.24%
Banana (1kg)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.65 $1.65
37.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.83 $6.83
$6.32 $6.32
8.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.09 $7.09
$4.44 $4.44
59.68%
Potato (1kg)
$4.22 $4.22
$3.04 $3.04
38.82%
Onion (1kg)
$4.65 $4.65
$2.08 $2.08
123.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.87 $2.87
$2.10 $2.10
36.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.60 $2.60
$2.72 $2.72
-4.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.77 $18.77
$11.85 $11.85
58.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.13 $20.13
$14.37 $14.37
40.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.45 $3.45
$1.68 $1.68
105.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 $4.02
$5.10 $5.10
-21.18%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
La Plata, MD
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 $2.91
$1.94 $1.94
50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 $139
$58.1 $58.1
138.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 $3.08
$2.73 $2.73
12.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.12 $2.12
$1.67 $1.67
26.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.96 $41.96
$29.72 $29.72
41.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 $1.17
$1.02 $1.02
14.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K $34.5K
$32.6K $32.6K
5.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$30.5K $30.5K
-15.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
La Plata, MD
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$97.8 $97.8
124.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$74.2 $74.2
$42.02 $42.02
76.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.2 $70.2
$73.5 $73.5
-4.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
La Plata, MD
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$112 $112
$40.39 $40.39
177.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$74.9 $74.9
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$22.14 $22.14
$15.14 $15.14
46.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
La Plata, MD
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,558 $3,558
$1,210 $1,210
193.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$62.2K $62.2K
$23.0K $23.0K
170.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
La Plata, MD
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.6 $75.6
$47.79 $47.79
58.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.2 $51.2
$36.43 $36.43
40.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 $123
$112 $112
9.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 $140
$121 $121
15.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
La Plata, MD
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,499 $4,499
$1,575 $1,575
185.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,078 $3,078
$1,284 $1,284
139.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$9,447 $9,447
$2,492 $2,492
279.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,190 $5,190
$2,098 $2,098
147.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.1K $18.1K
$3,038 $3,038
496.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,693 $6,693
$2,428 $2,428
175.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
La Plata, MD
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,220 $5,220
$6,502 $6,502
-19.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.86
6.25
9.76%

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 Plata, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3.1K
La Plata, MD
$1.3K 58.3% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$563
La Plata, MD
$398 29.3% $165
Eating Out
New York, NY
$440
La Plata, MD
$255 42% $185
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$364
La Plata, MD
$213 41.4% $150
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$175
La Plata, MD
$143 18.7% $33
Getting Around
New York, NY
$164
La Plata, MD
$77 53.1% $87
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$156
La Plata, MD
$71 54.8% $86

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,575 in La Plata, MD. 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 La Plata, MD, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $90 in La Plata, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $398 – making La Plata, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇺🇸 La Plata, MD
🕒 Local time
19:08 7:08 PM
19:08 7:08 PM
Same time as New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
10,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY La Plata, MD 340 km
From you
  • New York, NY
  • La Plata, MD

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 Plata, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is La Plata, MD cheaper than New York, NY?
Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,661 in La Plata, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in La Plata, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,575 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.
What are total monthly expenses in New York, NY and in La Plata, MD?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,441 in La Plata, MD. That makes La Plata, MD about 51% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 58% less in La Plata, MD. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is New York, NY or La Plata, MD more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward La Plata, MD – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, La Plata, MD is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 51% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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