Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Lakewood, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lakewood, WA: $3,284 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 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
158

Cost of Living Index in Lakewood, WA
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Lakewood, WA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Lakewood, WA

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 Lakewood, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $3,284 in Lakewood, WA.

New York, NY $4,938
Lakewood, WA $3,284

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,777 in Lakewood, WA.

New York, NY $7,273
Lakewood, WA $4,777

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $6,270 in Lakewood, WA.

New York, NY $9,608
Lakewood, WA $6,270

Living in New York, NY is roughly 50% more expensive than in Lakewood, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Lakewood, WA 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$18.09 $18.09

38.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$67.6 $67.6

77.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$12.71 $12.71

8.10%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.20 $5.20

26.92%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.98 $2.98

28.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.05 $2.05

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.90 $3.90

103.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$6.10 $6.10

64.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.02 $1.02

34.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.68 $3.68

29.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.24 $4.24

81.37%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.92 $3.92

49.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$13.72 $13.72

40.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$8.69 $8.69

105.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$11.21 $11.21

69.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.38 $4.38

52.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.94 $1.94

18.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.16 $4.16

54.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.52 $4.52

49.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.97 $1.97

99.49%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.15 $2.15

110.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.02 $2.02

38.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.49 $2.49

0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$12.36 $12.36

46.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.84 $15.84

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.98 $1.98

64.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.15 $4.15

-9.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.04 $2.04

43.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$197 $197

-27.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.02 $2.02

51.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.64 $0.64

237.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$27.31 $27.31

51.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.34 $1.34

-16.42%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$28.1K $28.1K

17.89%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

-2.23%

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

$219 $219

$289 $289

-24.04%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$74.0 $74.0

1.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$89.5 $89.5

-21.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$41.00 $41.00

181.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$24.97 $24.97

170.80%

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$18.08 $18.08

18.20%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,965 $1,965

74.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$25.7K $25.7K

140.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$50.1 $50.1

49.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$38.11 $38.11

36.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$100 $100

16.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$136 $136

-1.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,961 $1,961

121.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,733 $1,733

79.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$3,365 $3,365

170.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$3,047 $3,047

76.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,359 $2,359

717.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,606 $2,606

166.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.81

0.59%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lakewood, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Lakewood, WA

$1.7K 52.8% 44.4% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Lakewood, WA

$369 11.2% 33.2% $184

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Lakewood, WA

$297 9.1% 27% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Lakewood, WA

$452 13.8% 23.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Lakewood, WA

$146 4.5% 14.2% $24

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Lakewood, WA

$210 6.4% 25% $42

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Lakewood, WA

$77 2.4% 51.2% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,961 in Lakewood, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $120 in New York, NY vs $68.0 in Lakewood, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $369 per month, with Lakewood, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Lakewood, WA

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

01:50 1:50 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

140,024

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Lakewood, WA 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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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 Lakewood, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Lakewood, WA differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($4,938 vs $3,284 including rent). Lakewood, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $7,407 in New York, NY and $4,926 in Lakewood, WA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,961 in Lakewood, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lakewood, WA – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $120 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,938 per month in New York, NY versus $3,284 in Lakewood, WA – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lakewood, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, New York, NY and Lakewood, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lakewood, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.