Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Lawrence, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Lawrence, KS: $2,242 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $34,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lawrence, KS
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Lawrence, KS Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Lawrence, KS

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 Lawrence, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $2,242 in Lawrence, KS, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Lawrence, KS $2,242

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $3,313 in Lawrence, KS, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Lawrence, KS $3,313

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $4,383 in Lawrence, KS, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Lawrence, KS $4,383

New York, NY costs about 129% more than Lawrence, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Lawrence, KS sit above the global median – New York, NY by 284%, Lawrence, KS by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$15.03 $15.03

76.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$75.6 $75.6

57.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$10.97 $10.97

31.54%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$5.08 $5.08

28.94%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.50 $2.50

53.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.82 $1.82

64.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$5.88 $5.88

40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$7.37 $7.37

36.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$0.83 $0.83

57.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.13 $3.13

56.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$4.31 $4.31

66.13%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$3.91 $3.91

51.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$11.06 $11.06

72.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$12.67 $12.67

37.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$16.68 $16.68

13.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$5.41 $5.41

28.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.11 $2.11

-1.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.92 $4.92

23.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.13 $4.13

68.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.80 $1.80

121.11%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.96 $2.96

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.69 $1.69

66.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.82 $2.82

-10.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$7.06 $7.06

172.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$14.16 $14.16

38.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.75 $1.75

76.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.66 $1.66

121.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.96 $2.96

3.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.36 $1.36

56.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$25.50 $25.50

61.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.94 $0.94

18.09%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$22.6K $22.6K

54.64%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$24.1K $24.1K

5.51%

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

$217 $217

$279 $279

-21.91%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$63.7 $63.7

16.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$64.5 $64.5

12.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$44.86 $44.86

168.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$12.06 $12.06

454.64%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$12.24 $12.24

82.35%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$992 $992

245.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$19.4K $19.4K

215.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$51.8 $51.8

47.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$39.24 $39.24

41.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$79.4 $79.4

50.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$102 $102

28.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$1,191 $1,191

278.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$907 $907

247.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$1,944 $1,944

353.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$1,665 $1,665

232.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$2,365 $2,365

719.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$2,112 $2,112

219.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$3,805 $3,805

39.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.57

3.81%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lawrence, KS: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Lawrence, KS

$907 41.6% 71.2% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Lawrence, KS

$391 17.9% 28.3% $155

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Lawrence, KS

$275 12.6% 34.8% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Lawrence, KS

$407 18.6% 11.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Lawrence, KS

$123 5.6% 28.6% $49

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Lawrence, KS

$9.7 * 0.5% 94.1% $156

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Lawrence, KS

$69 3.2% 58% $96

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY versus $1,191 in Lawrence, KS. 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 39% 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 $119 in New York, NY versus $76.0 in Lawrence, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $391 – making Lawrence, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Lawrence, KS

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

04:45 4:45 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

95,358

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Lawrence, KS 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Lawrence, KS

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 Lawrence, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 129% more than Lawrence, KS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,714 per month in New York, NY and $3,363 in Lawrence, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lawrence, KS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in New York, NY and $76.0 in Lawrence, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lawrence, KS, where all-in costs run around $2,242, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Lawrence, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lawrence, KS costs $2,242 versus $5,142 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Lawrence, KS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.