Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lewiston, ME: $2,834 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY, United States
Lewiston, ME, United States
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,941
/mo nomad
Lewiston, ME
🇺🇸 United States
$2,834
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,834 in Lewiston, ME, rent included.

  • New York, NY $4,941
  • Lewiston, ME $2,834

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,213 in Lewiston, ME, rent included.

  • New York, NY $7,225
  • Lewiston, ME $4,213

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,592 in Lewiston, ME, rent included.

  • New York, NY $9,509
  • Lewiston, ME $5,592

New York, NY costs about 74% more than Lewiston, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and Lewiston, ME sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Lewiston, ME by 108%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Lewiston, ME
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$28.55 $28.55
$18.19 $18.19
56.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 $118
$94.7 $94.7
25.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.04 $15.04
$13.44 $13.44
11.90%
Cappuccino
$6.53 $6.53
$5.32 $5.32
22.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 $3.96
$2.91 $2.91
36.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.82 $2.82
6.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.16 $8.16
$4.93 $4.93
65.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.84 $9.84
$8.12 $8.12
21.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Lewiston, ME
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 $1.37
$1.08 $1.08
26.85%
White Bread (500g)
$4.97 $4.97
$3.91 $3.91
27.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.81 $7.81
$5.49 $5.49
42.26%
Eggs
$5.97 $5.97
$4.91 $4.91
21.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.91 $18.91
$11.27 $11.27
67.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.04 $18.04
$14.20 $14.20
27.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.05 $19.05
$17.61 $17.61
8.18%
Apples (1kg)
$6.76 $6.76
$6.56 $6.56
3.05%
Banana (1kg)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.79 $1.79
26.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.83 $6.83
$6.76 $6.76
1.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.09 $7.09
$5.50 $5.50
28.91%
Potato (1kg)
$4.22 $4.22
$2.86 $2.86
47.55%
Onion (1kg)
$4.65 $4.65
$4.36 $4.36
6.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.87 $2.87
$2.94 $2.94
-2.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.60 $2.60
$2.20 $2.20
18.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.77 $18.77
$9.00 $9.00
108.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.13 $20.13
$13.32 $13.32
51.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.45 $3.45
$2.17 $2.17
58.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 $4.02
$4.24 $4.24
-5.19%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Lewiston, ME
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 $2.91
$1.80 $1.80
61.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 $139
$63.3 $63.3
119.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 $3.08
$3.06 $3.06
0.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.12 $2.12
$1.55 $1.55
36.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.96 $41.96
$31.63 $31.63
32.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 $1.17
$1.03 $1.03
13.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K $34.5K
$27.1K $27.1K
27.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$26.7K $26.7K
-3.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Lewiston, ME
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$323 $323
-31.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$74.2 $74.2
$103 $103
-27.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.2 $70.2
$83.6 $83.6
-15.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Lewiston, ME
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$112 $112
$45.22 $45.22
147.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$74.9 $74.9
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$22.14 $22.14
$14.34 $14.34
54.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Lewiston, ME
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,558 $3,558
$1,816 $1,816
95.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$62.2K $62.2K
$29.4K $29.4K
111.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Lewiston, ME
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.6 $75.6
$16.10 $16.10
369.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.2 $51.2
$39.03 $39.03
31.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 $123
$79.5 $79.5
54.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 $140
$101 $101
38.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Lewiston, ME
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,499 $4,499
$981 $981
358.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,078 $3,078
$1,301 $1,301
136.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$9,447 $9,447
$2,532 $2,532
273.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,190 $5,190
$2,291 $2,291
126.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.1K $18.1K
$2,531 $2,531
615.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,693 $6,693
$2,305 $2,305
190.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Lewiston, ME
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,220 $5,220
-
-
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 Lewiston, ME: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3.1K
Lewiston, ME
$1.3K 57.7% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$563
Lewiston, ME
$449 20.3% $114
Eating Out
New York, NY
$440
Lewiston, ME
$314 28.8% $127
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$364
Lewiston, ME
$509 39.9% $145
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$175
Lewiston, ME
$106 39.5% $69
Getting Around
New York, NY
$164
Lewiston, ME
$81 50.5% $83
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$156
Lewiston, ME
$74 52.7% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $981 in Lewiston, ME. 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 $95 in Lewiston, ME. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $449 – making Lewiston, ME the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇺🇸 Lewiston, ME
🕒 Local time
04:52 4:52 AM
04:52 4:52 AM
Same time as 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Lewiston, ME 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Lewiston, ME

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, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lewiston, ME cheaper than New York, NY?
Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,251 in Lewiston, ME. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lewiston, ME, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $981 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.
How do food prices compare in New York, NY and in Lewiston, ME?
Groceries cost about 25% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in New York, NY or in Lewiston, ME?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY and $95 in Lewiston, ME. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in New York, NY or in Lewiston, ME?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,834 in Lewiston, ME. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is New York, NY or Lewiston, ME more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lewiston, ME – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Lewiston, ME is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 43% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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