Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Little Rock, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Little Rock, AR: $2,137 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $36,100 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Little Rock, AR
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Little Rock, AR Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Little Rock, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Little Rock, AR

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 Little Rock, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $2,137 in Little Rock, AR, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Little Rock, AR $2,137

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $3,103 in Little Rock, AR, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Little Rock, AR $3,103

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $4,069 in Little Rock, AR, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Little Rock, AR $4,069

New York, NY costs about 141% more than Little Rock, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Little Rock, AR sit above the global median – New York, NY by 284%, Little Rock, AR by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$17.18 $17.18

54.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$73.9 $73.9

60.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$10.84 $10.84

33.12%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$5.15 $5.15

27.18%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.94 $2.94

30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.43 $2.43

23.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$5.54 $5.54

49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$6.41 $6.41

56.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.10 $1.10

19.09%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.69 $2.69

82.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$2.82 $2.82

153.90%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$3.39 $3.39

74.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$10.15 $10.15

87.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$11.70 $11.70

48.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$22.86 $22.86

-17.15%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$5.03 $5.03

38.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.47 $1.47

41.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.42 $4.42

38.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.77 $3.77

84.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.72 $2.72

46.32%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.57 $2.57

72.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.94 $1.94

44.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.93 $1.93

30.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$9.74 $9.74

97.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$13.47 $13.47

46.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.77 $1.77

74.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.70 $1.70

116.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.36 $1.36

122.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$35.95 $35.95

288.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.54 $2.54

20.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.48 $1.48

43.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$24.22 $24.22

70.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.90 $0.90

23.33%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$37.4K $37.4K

-6.42%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.2K $26.2K

-3.01%

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

$217 $217

$218 $218

-0.07%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$59.9 $59.9

23.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$68.3 $68.3

6.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$29.12 $29.12

313.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$13.94 $13.94

379.84%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$12.76 $12.76

74.92%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$1,014 $1,014

237.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$18.9K $18.9K

224.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$50.8 $50.8

50.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$39.52 $39.52

40.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$83.8 $83.8

42.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$147 $147

-11.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$1,132 $1,132

297.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$874 $874

260.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$1,577 $1,577

459.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$1,282 $1,282

331.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$1,870 $1,870

936.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$1,335 $1,335

406.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$3,805 $3,805

39.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.75

1.04%

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 Little Rock, AR: 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%

Little Rock, AR

$874 40.9% 72.3% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Little Rock, AR

$374 17.5% 31.5% $172

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Little Rock, AR

$294 13.7% 30.4% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Little Rock, AR

$346 16.2% 5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Little Rock, AR

$145 6.8% 15.8% $27

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Little Rock, AR

$51 2.4% 69% $114

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Little Rock, AR

$55 2.6% 66.9% $110

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY versus $1,132 in Little Rock, AR. 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 $74.0 in Little Rock, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $374 – making Little Rock, AR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Little Rock, AR

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

202,591

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Little Rock, AR 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Little Rock, AR

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 Little Rock, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $5,142 in New York, NY, $2,137 in Little Rock, AR – roughly 141% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,714 per month in New York, NY and $3,205 in Little Rock, AR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $3,425 per month in New York, NY and $1,014 in Little Rock, AR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Little Rock, AR, where all-in costs run around $2,137, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Little Rock, AR it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,137 in Little Rock, AR to $5,142 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Little Rock, AR. 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.