Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Los Alamos, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,060 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $46,500 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Los Alamos, NM $1,060

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $1,643 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Los Alamos, NM $1,643

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $2,227 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Los Alamos, NM $2,227

New York, NY costs about 366% more than Los Alamos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New York, NY sits 264% above the global median, while Los Alamos, NM is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$16.75 $16.75

49.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$39.58 $39.58

203.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$9.82 $9.82

39.92%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$4.95 $4.95

33.33%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.52 $2.52

51.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.53 $1.53

87.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.91 $5.91

34.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$6.89 $6.89

46.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.95 $0.95

44.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.16 $2.16

119.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.62 $4.62

66.45%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.01 $4.01

46.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$11.89 $11.89

61.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$9.74 $9.74

83.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$17.91 $17.91

6.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.87 $4.87

37.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.43 $1.43

60.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$2.85 $2.85

124.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.36 $4.36

54.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.11 $1.11

254.05%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.34 $3.34

35.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.05 $2.05

36.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.52 $0.52

382.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$11.00 $11.00

64.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$13.84 $13.84

45.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.46 $2.46

32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.65 $3.65

2.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.61 $3.61

-15.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.94 $1.94

11.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$32.32 $32.32

27.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.94 $0.94

19.15%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$30.0K $30.0K

10.31%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.3K $25.3K

1.59%

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

$219 $219

$156 $156

40.27%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$40.31 $40.31

86.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$72.5 $72.5

-2.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$12.88 $12.88

65.92%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,480 $1,480

131.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

146.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$20.09 $20.09

272.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$43.66 $43.66

19.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$102 $102

13.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$117 $117

15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,101 $1,101

294.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$1,926 $1,926

373.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$3,369 $3,369

472.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$3,369 $3,369

106.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$8,167 $8,167

-35.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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 Los Alamos, NM: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Los Alamos, NM

$342 32.3% 38.1% $211

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Los Alamos, NM

$282 26.7% 30.6% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.4% 26.3% $96

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Los Alamos, NM

$127 12% 25.2% $43

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Los Alamos, NM

$13 * 1.3% 92.1% $155

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.4% 83.7% $132

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,101 in Los Alamos, NM. 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 56% higher in Los Alamos, NM, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY versus $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $342 – making Los Alamos, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

12:36 12:36 PM

2 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

13,179

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Los Alamos, NM 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 366%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $1,589 in Los Alamos, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,938 in New York, NY and $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM. That's a gap of about 366%.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,480 in Los Alamos, NM. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Alamos, NM, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in New York, NY at $4,938. In Los Alamos, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Los Alamos, NM – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Los Alamos, NM. 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.