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 22.6% more expensive than Los Angeles, CA without rent, and 25% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: New York, NY is 22.5% more expensive than Los Angeles, CA without rent, and 35.3% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.68 $29.68
$24.72 $24.72
20.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$144 $144
$99.9 $99.9
44.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.43 $12.43
$13.93 $13.93
-10.77%
Cappuccino
$5.84 $5.84
$5.87 $5.87
-0.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.96 $2.96
10.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.32 $2.32
11.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.24 $8.24
$8.67 $8.67
-4.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$11.86 $11.86
$9.97 $9.97
18.96%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 $1.56
$1.18 $1.18
32.20%
White Bread (500g)
$5.23 $5.23
$4.4 $4.4
18.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$8.11 $8.11
$5.85 $5.85
38.63%
Eggs
$7.25 $7.25
$7.67 $7.67
-5.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.08 $17.08
$12.47 $12.47
36.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.24 $16.24
$17.17 $17.17
-5.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.02 $20.02
$19.76 $19.76
1.32%
Apples (1kg)
$7.49 $7.49
$6.04 $6.04
24.01%
Banana (1kg)
$2.55 $2.55
$2.6 $2.6
-1.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.82 $5.82
$4.28 $4.28
35.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.52 $6.52
$4.89 $4.89
33.33%
Potato (1kg)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.97 $2.97
25.25%
Onion (1kg)
$3.9 $3.9
$2.45 $2.45
59.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.83 $1.83
67.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.13 $2.13
20.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.21 $19.21
$11.93 $11.93
61.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.79 $17.79
$15.22 $15.22
16.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.59 $2.59
16.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$3.29 $3.29
13.07%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.74 $1.74
67.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$134 $134
$82.7 $82.7
62.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.13 $5.13
$3.17 $3.17
61.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.69 $1.69
27.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.57 $41.57
$29.16 $29.16
42.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.31 $1.31
-27.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35K $35K
$31.7K $31.7K
10.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.7K $27.7K
$26.8K $26.8K
3.28%
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)
$179 $179
$180 $180
-0.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$60 $60
$67.2 $67.2
-10.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.8 $63.8
$71.5 $71.5
-10.71%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$141 $141
$47.48 $47.48
196.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$63.9 $63.9
$12.61 $12.61
406.74%
Cinema Ticket
$19.9 $19.9
$17.78 $17.78
11.92%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,206 $3,206
$1,778 $1,778
80.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$56.5K $56.5K
$23.5K $23.5K
140.25%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.7 $65.7
$62.6 $62.6
5.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.75 $48.75
$47.21 $47.21
3.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 $111
$101 $101
9.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$172 $172
$150 $150
14.74%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,165 $4,165
$2,653 $2,653
57.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,653 $2,653
$2,091 $2,091
26.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$8,412 $8,412
$4,529 $4,529
85.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,277 $5,277
$3,701 $3,701
42.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$15.6K $15.6K
$7,588 $7,588
105.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.2K $11.2K
$6,911 $6,911
61.43%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,616 $5,616
$4,595 $4,595
22.22%
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: October 28, 2025

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 27, 2025

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