Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Lake Forest, CA Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Lake Forest, CA

😐 Solo nomad: New York, NY is 48.5% more expensive than Lake Forest, CA without rent, and 50.1% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: New York, NY is 31.8% more expensive than Lake Forest, CA without rent, and 59.4% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.14 $30.14

$25.26 $25.26

19.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 $147

$102 $102

44.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.62 $12.62

$10.06 $10.06

25.45%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$5.66 $5.66

6.01%

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

$3.35 $3.35

$2.59 $2.59

29.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.22 $2.22

16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$8.40 $8.40

-2.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.99 $11.99

$9.00 $9.00

33.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.19 $1.19

35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.50 $4.50

11.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.40 $8.40

$4.64 $4.64

81.03%

Eggs

$7.10 $7.10

$4.61 $4.61

54.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$12.26 $12.26

41.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.18 $16.18

$16.75 $16.75

-3.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.48 $20.48

$19.35 $19.35

5.84%

Apples (1kg)

$7.36 $7.36

$6.37 $6.37

15.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.90 $1.90

34.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$4.24 $4.24

34.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$5.61 $5.61

11.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$3.22 $3.22

20.19%

Onion (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.94 $2.94

39.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.91 $1.91

58.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.20 $2.20

15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.07 $19.07

$9.81 $9.81

94.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.66 $19.66

$15.23 $15.23

29.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.71 $1.71

74.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.03 $4.03

-6.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.54 $3.54

-16.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$131 $131

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.18 $3.18

59.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.78 $2.78

-21.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.49 $41.49

$29.13 $29.13

42.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.24 $1.24

-20.97%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.2K $28.2K

22.56%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$26.3K $26.3K

7.39%

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

$184 $184

$200 $200

-8.04%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$53.8 $53.8

9.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.9 $61.9

$73.4 $73.4

-15.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$141 $141

$50.4 $50.4

178.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$65.3 $65.3

Cinema Ticket

$20.13 $20.13

$17.24 $17.24

16.76%

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

$3,191 $3,191

$1,823 $1,823

75.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$57.5K $57.5K

$23.5K $23.5K

144.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 $67.2

$62.5 $62.5

7.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.98 $47.98

$40.50 $40.50

18.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$101 $101

10.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 $170

$147 $147

15.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,207 $4,207

$1,418 $1,418

196.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,717 $2,717

$1,472 $1,472

84.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,382 $8,382

$3,137 $3,137

167.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,783 $2,783

84.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.5K $19.5K

$8,040 $8,040

143.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,862 $8,862

$6,951 $6,951

27.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,228 $5,228

$7,015 $7,015

-25.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

6.49

-0.77%

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

Last update for New York, NY: April 11, 2026

Last update for Lake Forest, CA: April 12, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

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