Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: New York, NY is 19% more expensive than Los Angeles, CA without rent, and 24.2% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: New York, NY is 26% more expensive than Los Angeles, CA without rent, and 33.1% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.09 $30.09
$24.95 $24.95
20.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$143 $143
$100 $100
42.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.73 $12.73
$13.73 $13.73
-7.28%
Cappuccino
$6.01 $6.01
$5.69 $5.69
5.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$3.00 $3.00
11.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 $2.64
$2.22 $2.22
18.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.83 $7.83
$8.51 $8.51
-7.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$11.97 $11.97
$9.98 $9.98
19.94%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.24 $1.24
26.61%
White Bread (500g)
$5.15 $5.15
$4.51 $4.51
14.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$8.26 $8.26
$6.04 $6.04
36.75%
Eggs
$7.02 $7.02
$7.27 $7.27
-3.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.49 $17.49
$12.77 $12.77
36.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.56 $16.56
$16.87 $16.87
-1.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.39 $20.39
$19.51 $19.51
4.51%
Apples (1kg)
$7.37 $7.37
$5.99 $5.99
23.04%
Banana (1kg)
$2.46 $2.46
$2.70 $2.70
-8.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.67 $5.67
$4.24 $4.24
33.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.45 $6.45
$4.73 $4.73
36.36%
Potato (1kg)
$3.86 $3.86
$3.04 $3.04
26.97%
Onion (1kg)
$3.95 $3.95
$2.47 $2.47
59.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.13 $3.13
$1.90 $1.90
64.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.49 $2.49
$2.20 $2.20
13.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.78 $18.78
$11.60 $11.60
61.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.23 $18.23
$14.88 $14.88
22.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.95 $2.95
$2.52 $2.52
17.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 $3.74
$3.26 $3.26
14.72%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.95 $2.95
$1.73 $1.73
70.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$132 $132
$83.3 $83.3
57.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.86 $4.86
$3.06 $3.06
58.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.19 $2.19
$1.72 $1.72
27.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.87 $41.87
$29.59 $29.59
41.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 $0.97
$1.24 $1.24
-21.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.3K $34.3K
$32.0K $32.0K
7.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K $28.1K
$26.5K $26.5K
5.86%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 $182
$179 $179
2.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$60.7 $60.7
$66.0 $66.0
-7.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.5 $62.5
$71.6 $71.6
-12.63%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$143 $143
$48.34 $48.34
195.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$65.5 $65.5
$12.55 $12.55
421.75%
Cinema Ticket
$19.78 $19.78
$18.11 $18.11
9.22%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,189 $3,189
$1,808 $1,808
76.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$57.1K $57.1K
$23.6K $23.6K
141.98%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.3 $67.3
$61.4 $61.4
9.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.64 $48.64
$47.18 $47.18
3.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 $113
$103 $103
9.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$172 $172
$152 $152
12.89%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,162 $4,162
$2,646 $2,646
57.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,667 $2,667
$2,074 $2,074
28.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$8,481 $8,481
$4,514 $4,514
87.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,161 $5,161
$3,707 $3,707
39.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$20.4K $20.4K
$8,505 $8,505
140.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$9,438 $9,438
$7,159 $7,159
31.82%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,201 $5,201
$4,144 $4,144
25.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.44
6.49
-0.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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