Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Lexington, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lexington, MA: $2,672 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, MA
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Lexington, MA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Lexington, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Lexington, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,672 in Lexington, MA.

New York, NY $4,938
Lexington, MA $2,672

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,542 in Lexington, MA.

New York, NY $7,273
Lexington, MA $4,542

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $6,412 in Lexington, MA.

New York, NY $9,608
Lexington, MA $6,412

Living in New York, NY is roughly 85% more expensive than in Lexington, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Lexington, MA 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$20.23 $20.23

23.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$74.1 $74.1

62.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$15.84 $15.84

-13.26%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$4.89 $4.89

34.97%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.86 $2.86

33.57%

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

$6.81 $6.81

16.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.98 $7.98

26.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.17 $1.17

17.09%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.93 $3.93

20.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.72 $4.72

62.92%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.18 $4.18

40.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$12.65 $12.65

52.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$12.65 $12.65

40.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$17.08 $17.08

11.42%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.32 $4.32

54.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.83 $1.83

25.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.53 $4.53

41.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.17 $5.17

30.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.39 $2.39

64.44%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.93 $2.93

54.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.99 $1.99

40.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.21 $2.21

13.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$8.55 $8.55

111.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$16.74 $16.74

20.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.82 $1.82

79.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.42 $3.42

9.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.20 $2.20

32.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.73 $2.73

12.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.74 $1.74

24.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$28.81 $28.81

43.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.04 $1.04

7.69%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.7K $27.7K

19.41%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$28.1K $28.1K

-8.47%

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

$219 $219

$189 $189

15.93%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$59.2 $59.2

27.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

-0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$42.12 $42.12

174.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$13.93 $13.93

53.41%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,400 $1,400

145.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$23.6K $23.6K

161.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$58.6 $58.6

27.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$36.47 $36.47

42.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$88.4 $88.4

32.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$111 $111

20.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,530 $1,530

184.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,380 $1,380

125.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,878 $2,878

216.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$3,564 $3,564

50.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,775 $2,775

594.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,356 $2,356

194.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.79

0.88%

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 Lexington, MA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Lexington, MA

$1.4K 51.6% 55.7% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Lexington, MA

$413 15.4% 25.3% $140

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Lexington, MA

$338 12.6% 17% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Lexington, MA

$319 11.9% 12.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Lexington, MA

$133 5% 22.1% $38

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Lexington, MA

$20 * 0.8% 88% $148

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Lexington, MA

$70 2.6% 55.8% $88

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 $1,530 in Lexington, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $120 in New York, NY vs $74.0 in Lexington, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $413 per month, with Lexington, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Lexington, MA

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

322,570

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Lexington, MA 320 km

From you

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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 Lexington, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Lexington, MA differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($4,938 vs $2,672 including rent). Lexington, MA 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 $4,007 in Lexington, MA 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 $1,530 in Lexington, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,938 per month in New York, NY versus $2,672 in Lexington, MA – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lexington, MA 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 Lexington, MA 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 Lexington, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.