Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Angeles, CA: $4,060 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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
195

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA.

New York, NY $4,941
Los Angeles, CA $4,060

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $6,104 in Los Angeles, CA.

New York, NY $7,225
Los Angeles, CA $6,104

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $8,148 in Los Angeles, CA.

New York, NY $9,509
Los Angeles, CA $8,148

Living in New York, NY is roughly 22% more expensive than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Los Angeles, CA 198% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$27.02 $27.02

5.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$121 $121

-2.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$15.21 $15.21

-1.12%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.78 $5.78

12.98%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.79 $3.79

4.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.69 $2.69

11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.76 $7.76

5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.98 $9.98

-1.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.29 $1.29

6.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.68 $4.68

6.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.58 $4.58

70.52%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.35 $5.35

11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.27 $11.27

67.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$16.16 $16.16

11.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.42 $19.42

-1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.24 $5.24

29.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.33 $2.33

-2.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.62 $4.62

47.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.56 $5.56

27.52%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.38 $3.38

24.85%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.93 $2.93

58.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.95 $1.95

47.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.43 $2.43

7.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.99 $11.99

56.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.05 $15.05

33.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.94 $2.94

17.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.71 $2.71

48.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.72 $1.72

69.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$105 $105

32.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.05 $3.05

0.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.87 $1.87

13.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$32.19 $32.19

30.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.57 $1.57

-25.48%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

-0.03%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.0K $27.0K

-4.08%

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

$219 $219

$280 $280

-21.71%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$78.4 $78.4

-5.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$79.1 $79.1

-11.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$71.2 $71.2

57.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$12.21 $12.21

513.10%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$18.32 $18.32

20.85%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,722 $1,722

106.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$31.7K $31.7K

95.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$91.6 $91.6

-17.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$65.7 $65.7

-22.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$117 $117

5.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$210 $210

-33.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,547 $2,547

76.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,295 $2,295

34.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$5,372 $5,372

75.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$4,158 $4,158

24.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$7,171 $7,171

152.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$6,923 $6,923

-3.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,204 $4,204

24.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

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 Los Angeles, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 56.5% 25.5% $784

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$462 11.4% 18% $101

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$416 10.2% 5.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.8% 20.3% $74

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.4% 24.3% $43

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3.1% 24.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$108 2.7% 31% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $121 in Los Angeles, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $563 vs $462, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

17:32 5:32 PM

14:32 2:32 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

4,030,904

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Los Angeles, CA 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Angeles, CA is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles, CA is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $4,000. Los Angeles, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Los Angeles, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Los Angeles, CA wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.