Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Laguna Niguel, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Laguna Niguel, CA: $4,226 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
203

Cost of Living Index in Laguna Niguel, CA
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Laguna Niguel, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Laguna Niguel, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,226

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Laguna Niguel, CA

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 Laguna Niguel, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $4,226 in Laguna Niguel, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Laguna Niguel, CA $4,226

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $5,456 in Laguna Niguel, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Laguna Niguel, CA $5,456

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $6,687 in Laguna Niguel, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Laguna Niguel, CA $6,687

New York, NY costs about 17% more than Laguna Niguel, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Laguna Niguel, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Laguna Niguel, CA by 211%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$24.63 $24.63

15.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$99.1 $99.1

19.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.94 $11.94

25.96%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.65 $5.65

15.58%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.53 $3.53

12.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.78 $2.78

8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.95 $7.95

2.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.24 $1.24

10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.87 $5.87

-15.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.59 $4.59

70.15%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.09 $5.09

17.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.64 $12.64

49.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$16.29 $16.29

10.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.28 $19.28

-1.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.50 $5.50

22.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.91 $1.91

18.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.85 $4.85

40.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.58 $6.58

7.75%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.40 $3.40

24.12%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.84 $2.84

63.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.35 $2.35

22.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.24 $2.24

16.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.63 $11.63

61.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.72 $14.72

36.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.75 $1.75

97.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.78 $2.78

44.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.97 $1.97

47.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$49.11 $49.11

182.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.52 $4.52

-31.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.84 $1.84

15.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$31.75 $31.75

32.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.57 $1.57

-25.48%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.4K $34.4K

0.21%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.40%

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

$219 $219

$280 $280

-21.77%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$72.6 $72.6

2.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$78.6 $78.6

-10.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$93.8 $93.8

19.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.81 $14.81

49.49%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,686 $1,686

110.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$31.8K $31.8K

95.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$74.9 $74.9

0.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.32 $40.32

26.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$120 $120

2.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$141 $141

-0.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,651 $2,651

69.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,571 $2,571

19.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$4,423 $4,423

113.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,044 $3,044

70.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$5,150 $5,150

1.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.64

3.31%

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 Laguna Niguel, CA: 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%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$2.6K 60.9% 16.5% $507

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$474 11.2% 15.8% $89

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$385 9.1% 12.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$432 10.2% 18.7% $68

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$169 4% 3.5% $6.2

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$71 1.7% 56.9% $94

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$123 2.9% 21% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,651 in Laguna Niguel, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $99 in Laguna Niguel, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $474 – making Laguna Niguel, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Laguna Niguel, CA

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

01:25 1:25 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

64,771

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Laguna Niguel, CA 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Laguna Niguel, CA

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 Laguna Niguel, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY, $4,226 in Laguna Niguel, CA – Laguna Niguel, CA comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $6,339 in Laguna Niguel, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Laguna Niguel, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,651 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $4,226 in Laguna Niguel, CA. That makes Laguna Niguel, CA about 14% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Laguna Niguel, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Laguna Niguel, CA costs $4,226 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Laguna Niguel, CA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 14% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.