Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Lima, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima, OH: $2,583 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Lima, OH
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Lima, OH Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Lima, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,583

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Lima, OH

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $2,583 in Lima, OH.

New York, NY $4,906
Lima, OH $2,583

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,667 in Lima, OH.

New York, NY $7,273
Lima, OH $3,667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $4,750 in Lima, OH.

New York, NY $9,641
Lima, OH $4,750

Living in New York, NY is roughly 90% more expensive than in Lima, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Lima, OH 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$21.56 $21.56

24.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$74.2 $74.2

57.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$12.05 $12.05

21.16%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.31 $5.31

23.16%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.48 $2.48

55.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.02 $2.02

46.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$6.11 $6.11

32.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.04 $7.04

39.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$0.51 $0.51

156.86%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.09 $3.09

60.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$5.29 $5.29

45.56%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$3.06 $3.06

99.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$8.90 $8.90

119.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$14.54 $14.54

20.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$15.71 $15.71

28.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.31 $4.31

62.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.13 $1.13

95.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.40 $4.40

52.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.37 $4.37

62.93%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.26 $2.26

103.98%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.17 $2.17

120.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.03 $2.03

41.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.94 $1.94

38.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$9.77 $9.77

95.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$16.08 $16.08

22.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.12 $2.12

56.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.95 $1.95

114.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.03 $2.03

48.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$59.8 $59.8

133.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.98 $2.98

2.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.42 $1.42

54.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$26.92 $26.92

53.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.90 $0.90

25.56%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$31.7K $31.7K

8.84%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$23.8K $23.8K

8.44%

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

$232 $232

$222 $222

4.52%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$67.8 $67.8

4.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$68.1 $68.1

-0.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$41.50 $41.50

178.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$47.74 $47.74

60.89%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$13.23 $13.23

69.39%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,560 $1,560

131.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$33.7K $33.7K

103.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$50.2 $50.2

57.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$41.92 $41.92

22.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$80.1 $80.1

51.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$110 $110

28.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,281 $1,281

255.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,244 $1,244

144.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,162 $2,162

350.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,804 $1,804

195.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$1,399 $1,399

1202.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$1,436 $1,436

365.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$5,178 $5,178

-1.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.59

4.55%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lima, OH: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Lima, OH

$1.2K 48.2% 59.1% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Lima, OH

$373 14.4% 34.3% $194

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Lima, OH

$335 13% 21.2% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Lima, OH

$358 13.9% 3.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Lima, OH

$127 4.9% 28.2% $50

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Lima, OH

$78 3% 52.9% $87

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Lima, OH

$68 2.6% 57.6% $92

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,555 in New York, NY and $1,281 in Lima, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $117 in New York, NY vs $74 in Lima, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $373 per month, with Lima, OH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Lima, OH

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

35,868

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Lima, OH 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Lima, OH

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 Lima, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,583 in Lima, OH, so Lima, OH is about 47% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $7,358 in New York, NY and $3,874 in Lima, OH 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: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,281 in Lima, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima, OH – a meal for two runs $74 versus $117 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,583 in Lima, OH versus $4,906 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lima, OH but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Lima, OH the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Lima, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.