Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Long Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Long Island, NY: $4,225 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
Learn more

Long Island, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Long Island, NY $4,225

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $5,930 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Long Island, NY $5,930

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $7,634 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Long Island, NY $7,634

New York, NY costs about 17% more than Long Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Long Island, NY sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Long Island, NY by 210%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.14 $25.14

13.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$98.5 $98.5

20.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.99 $10.99

36.85%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.08 $5.08

28.54%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.14 $2.14

85.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.58 $1.58

90.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.02 $8.02

1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.91 $7.91

24.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.32 $1.32

3.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.26 $4.26

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$1.94 $1.94

302.58%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.26 $5.26

13.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$7.21 $7.21

162.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$11.89 $11.89

51.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.22 $16.22

17.45%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.27 $4.27

58.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.20 $1.20

89.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$2.07 $2.07

229.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.16 $6.16

15.10%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.07 $1.07

294.39%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.18 $2.18

113.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.48 $1.48

93.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.85 $2.85

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.85 $11.85

58.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$17.58 $17.58

14.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.76 $1.76

96.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.09 $4.09

-1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.97 $2.97

-2.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$130 $130

7.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.99 $2.99

3.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.00 $2.00

6.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$24.41 $24.41

71.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.11 $1.11

5.41%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.5K $27.5K

25.42%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.62%

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

$219 $219

$192 $192

14.41%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$48.26 $48.26

53.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$53.7 $53.7

30.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$31.30 $31.30

257.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$102 $102

-26.54%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.69 $14.69

50.71%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,444 $2,444

45.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.5K $23.5K

164.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$40.07 $40.07

88.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$56.7 $56.7

-9.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$76.3 $76.3

61.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$155 $155

-10.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$3,189 $3,189

41.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,820 $2,820

9.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$5,670 $5,670

66.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$4,315 $4,315

20.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$5,973 $5,973

203.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$4,241 $4,241

57.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,981 $4,981

4.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.63

3.47%

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 Long Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8% 8.4% $258

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Long Island, NY

$382 9% 32.2% $181

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7% 16.9% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Long Island, NY

$294 7% 19.3% $70

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5% 15.7% $28

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7% 6% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4% 61.2% $96

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $3,189 in Long Island, NY. 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 5% 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $99 in Long Island, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $382 – making Long Island, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

7,804,968

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Long Island, NY 95 km

From you

New York, NY
Long Island, NY

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 Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY, $4,225 in Long Island, NY – Long Island, NY comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $6,337 in Long Island, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Long Island, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $3,189 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $2,444 in Long Island, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Long Island, NY costs $4,225 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Long Island, NY. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.