Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Long Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Long Beach, CA: $3,170 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Long Beach, CA
Learn more

Long Beach, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,170

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Long Beach, CA

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 Long Beach, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $3,170 in Long Beach, CA.

New York, NY $4,906
Long Beach, CA $3,170

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,689 in Long Beach, CA.

New York, NY $7,273
Long Beach, CA $4,689

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $6,209 in Long Beach, CA.

New York, NY $9,641
Long Beach, CA $6,209

Living in New York, NY is roughly 55% more expensive than in Long Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Long Beach, CA 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$19.97 $19.97

34.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$81.0 $81.0

44.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$15.09 $15.09

-3.25%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$6.05 $6.05

8.10%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$3.45 $3.45

11.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.42 $2.42

21.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$7.53 $7.53

7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$9.64 $9.64

2.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.05 $1.05

24.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.15 $4.15

19.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.73 $4.73

62.79%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$4.77 $4.77

27.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$12.84 $12.84

52.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$20.28 $20.28

-13.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$15.61 $15.61

29.79%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.92 $4.92

42.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.71 $1.71

29.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$5.56 $5.56

20.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$5.93 $5.93

20.07%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.71 $3.71

24.26%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.25 $2.25

112.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.99 $1.99

44.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.83 $1.83

46.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$11.86 $11.86

61.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.24 $15.24

28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.91 $1.91

73.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.06 $4.06

3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.23 $1.23

145.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$65.3 $65.3

113.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.05 $3.05

-0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.82 $1.82

20.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$35.98 $35.98

14.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.59 $1.59

-28.93%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.3K $28.3K

21.83%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.4K $27.4K

-5.66%

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

$232 $232

$170 $170

36.62%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$66.3 $66.3

7.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$60.0 $60.0

12.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$36.19 $36.19

218.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$15.20 $15.20

47.43%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,936 $1,936

86.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$17.7K $17.7K

288.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$57.5 $57.5

37.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$39.27 $39.27

30.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$91.2 $91.2

32.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$147 $147

-4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$2,097 $2,097

117.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,759 $1,759

72.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$3,556 $3,556

174.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$3,038 $3,038

75.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$7,121 $7,121

155.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$6,423 $6,423

4.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$4,670 $4,670

9.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.31

9.19%

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 Long Beach, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Long Beach, CA

$1.8K 55.5% 42.1% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Long Beach, CA

$457 14.4% 19.4% $110

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Long Beach, CA

$358 11.3% 15.8% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Long Beach, CA

$296 9.4% 20.1% $75

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Long Beach, CA

$151 4.8% 14.6% $26

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Long Beach, CA

$82 2.6% 50.2% $83

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Long Beach, CA

$67 2.1% 58.4% $94

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,555 in New York, NY and $2,097 in Long Beach, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 9% 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: $117 in New York, NY vs $81 in Long Beach, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $457 per month, with Long Beach, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Long Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

13:58 1:58 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

469,450

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Long Beach, CA 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Long Beach, CA

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 Long Beach, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $3,170 in Long Beach, CA, so Long Beach, CA is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $2,097 in Long Beach, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Long Beach, CA – a meal for two runs $81 versus $117 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $4,906 per month in New York, NY versus $3,170 in Long Beach, CA – Long Beach, CA is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Long Beach, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Long Beach, CA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Long Beach, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.