Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Banos, CA: $2,394 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,500 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
116

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Los Banos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,394 in Los Banos, CA.

New York, NY $4,938
Los Banos, CA $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,580 in Los Banos, CA.

New York, NY $7,273
Los Banos, CA $3,580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $4,767 in Los Banos, CA.

New York, NY $9,608
Los Banos, CA $4,767

Living in New York, NY is roughly 106% more expensive than in Los Banos, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Los Banos, CA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$14.86 $14.86

68.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$101 $101

19.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$9.83 $9.83

39.78%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.11 $5.11

29.16%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.53 $2.53

50.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.04 $2.04

40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$7.94 $7.94

0.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$8.24 $8.24

22.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.03 $1.03

33.01%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.21 $3.21

47.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$2.95 $2.95

160.68%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$1.58 $1.58

271.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$8.69 $8.69

121.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$7.73 $7.73

130.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$12.80 $12.80

48.67%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.39 $3.39

97.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.35 $1.35

69.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$2.79 $2.79

129.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$2.83 $2.83

138.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.92 $2.92

34.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.44 $2.44

85.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.30 $2.30

21.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.49 $2.49

0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$11.10 $11.10

63.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$14.10 $14.10

42.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.87 $1.87

74.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.31 $1.31

186.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.04 $2.04

43.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.71 $2.71

12.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.56 $1.56

38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$32.88 $32.88

25.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.45 $1.45

-22.76%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$30.4K $30.4K

9.00%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.0K $27.0K

-4.74%

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

$219 $219

$217 $217

0.92%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$44.68 $44.68

68.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$88.7 $88.7

-20.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$39.09 $39.09

195.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$14.86 $14.86

43.81%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$2,509 $2,509

36.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$29.5K $29.5K

109.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$23.82 $23.82

214.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$21.67 $21.67

140.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$52.3 $52.3

123.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$59.4 $59.4

126.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,618 $1,618

168.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,294 $1,294

140.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,682 $2,682

239.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,280 $2,280

135.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,713 $2,713

610.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,408 $2,408

188.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$6,598 $6,598

-20.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.47

5.87%

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 Banos, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Los Banos, CA

$1.3K 54.1% 58.5% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Los Banos, CA

$307 12.8% 44.4% $245

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Los Banos, CA

$284 11.9% 30.2% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Los Banos, CA

$351 14.7% 4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Los Banos, CA

$71 3% 58.5% $100

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Los Banos, CA

$19 * 0.8% 88.9% $150

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Los Banos, CA

$69 2.9% 56.5% $89

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,618 in Los Banos, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $120 in New York, NY vs $101 in Los Banos, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $307 per month, with Los Banos, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Los Banos, CA

🕒 Local time

06:21 6:21 AM

03:21 3:21 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

35,972

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Los Banos, CA 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Los Banos, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 106% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Los Banos, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Los Banos, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,618 in Los Banos, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,938 per month in New York, NY versus $2,394 in Los Banos, CA – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Los Banos, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Los Banos, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,394 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Los Banos, CA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Los Banos, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.