Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Lewiston, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Lewiston, ID: $2,119 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,938
/mo nomad
Lewiston, ID
🇺🇸 United States
$2,119
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Lewiston, ID

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 Lewiston, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,119 in Lewiston, ID.

  • New York, NY $4,938
  • Lewiston, ID $2,119

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,195 in Lewiston, ID.

  • New York, NY $7,273
  • Lewiston, ID $3,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $4,270 in Lewiston, ID.

  • New York, NY $9,608
  • Lewiston, ID $4,270

Living in New York, NY is roughly 133% more expensive than in Lewiston, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Lewiston, ID 56% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Lewiston, ID
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.99 $24.99
$19.87 $19.87
25.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$120 $120
$58.6 $58.6
105.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.74 $13.74
$13.09 $13.09
4.97%
Cappuccino
$6.60 $6.60
$5.98 $5.98
10.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$2.95 $2.95
29.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 $2.87
$2.20 $2.20
30.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.95 $7.95
$5.91 $5.91
34.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.06 $10.06
$6.91 $6.91
45.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Lewiston, ID
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 $1.37
$1.08 $1.08
26.85%
White Bread (500g)
$4.75 $4.75
$3.45 $3.45
37.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.69 $7.69
$4.22 $4.22
82.23%
Eggs
$5.87 $5.87
$4.22 $4.22
39.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.25 $19.25
$12.79 $12.79
50.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.83 $17.83
$10.61 $10.61
68.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.03 $19.03
$16.82 $16.82
13.14%
Apples (1kg)
$6.69 $6.69
$4.34 $4.34
54.15%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.63 $1.63
40.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.41 $6.41
$4.30 $4.30
49.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.75 $6.75
$4.77 $4.77
41.51%
Potato (1kg)
$3.93 $3.93
$2.88 $2.88
36.46%
Onion (1kg)
$4.52 $4.52
$3.17 $3.17
42.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.79 $2.79
$2.17 $2.17
28.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 $2.51
$2.29 $2.29
9.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.10 $18.10
$9.34 $9.34
93.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.16 $20.16
$16.82 $16.82
19.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.14 $2.14
52.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.75 $3.75
$3.35 $3.35
11.94%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Lewiston, ID
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.24 $2.24
30.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$143 $143
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 $3.06
$3.03 $3.03
0.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.67 $1.67
29.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.33 $41.33
$27.90 $27.90
48.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$0.91 $0.91
23.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K $33.1K
$25.8K $25.8K
28.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$23.8K $23.8K
7.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Lewiston, ID
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$219 $219
0.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$75.3 $75.3
$66.9 $66.9
12.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.5 $70.5
$70.1 $70.1
0.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Lewiston, ID
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$116 $116
$37.90 $37.90
204.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$67.6 $67.6
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$21.37 $21.37
$13.27 $13.27
61.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Lewiston, ID
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,432 $3,432
$1,455 $1,455
135.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$61.7K $61.7K
$24.4K $24.4K
152.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Lewiston, ID
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.9 $74.9
$59.1 $59.1
26.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.1 $52.1
$35.32 $35.32
47.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 $117
$96.3 $96.3
21.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$135 $135
$127 $127
6.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Lewiston, ID
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,347 $4,347
$1,036 $1,036
319.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,117 $3,117
$805 $805
287.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$9,110 $9,110
$1,738 $1,738
424.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,379 $5,379
$1,488 $1,488
261.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$19.3K $19.3K
$2,907 $2,907
563.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,943 $6,943
$2,348 $2,348
195.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Lewiston, ID
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,238 $5,238
$2,623 $2,623
99.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.85
7.54
-9.15%

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 Lewiston, ID: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3.1K
Lewiston, ID
$805 74.2% $2.3K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$552
Lewiston, ID
$396 28.4% $157
Eating Out
New York, NY
$407
Lewiston, ID
$334 17.9% $73
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$365
Lewiston, ID
$356 2.4% $8.9
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$170
Lewiston, ID
$143 16% $27
Getting Around
New York, NY
$168
Lewiston, ID
$20 * 87.9% $148
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$158
Lewiston, ID
$64 59.3% $94

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,036 in Lewiston, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 100% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $120 in New York, NY vs $59.0 in Lewiston, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $396 per month, with Lewiston, ID cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇺🇸 Lewiston, ID
🕒 Local time
05:33 5:33 AM
02:33 2:33 AM
3 h behind New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
36,226
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Lewiston, ID 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Lewiston, ID

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 Lewiston, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in New York, NY and in Lewiston, ID?
New York, NY and Lewiston, ID differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($4,938 vs $2,119 including rent). Lewiston, ID is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: New York, NY or Lewiston, ID?
Average pay runs 100% higher in New York, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in New York, NY and in Lewiston, ID?
Rent for a central apartment: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,036 in Lewiston, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: New York, NY or Lewiston, ID?
All in, you'll spend $4,938 per month in New York, NY versus $2,119 in Lewiston, ID – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,119 in Lewiston, ID versus $4,938 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lewiston, ID but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Lewiston, ID the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between New York, NY and Lewiston, ID?
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.
Where should expats move: New York, NY or Lewiston, ID?
Expats usually find Lewiston, ID gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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