Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Lowell, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lowell, MA: $2,661 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Lowell, MA
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Lowell, MA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Lowell, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Lowell, MA

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 Lowell, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,661 in Lowell, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Lowell, MA $2,661

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,253 in Lowell, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Lowell, MA $4,253

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,846 in Lowell, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Lowell, MA $5,846

New York, NY costs about 86% more than Lowell, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Lowell, MA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Lowell, MA by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$17.76 $17.76

60.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$69.2 $69.2

71.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$9.05 $9.05

66.19%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$4.97 $4.97

31.39%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$1.94 $1.94

104.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.64 $1.64

83.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.95 $4.95

64.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.86 $7.86

25.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.84 $0.84

63.10%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.16 $2.16

130.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.48 $5.48

42.52%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.97 $3.97

50.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.51 $11.51

64.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$8.64 $8.64

108.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$17.37 $17.37

9.67%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$2.72 $2.72

148.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.18 $1.18

92.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$6.71 $6.71

1.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.64 $5.64

25.71%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.66 $1.66

154.22%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.45 $4.45

4.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.07 $3.07

-6.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.29 $2.29

13.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.90 $13.90

35.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$13.27 $13.27

51.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.69 $1.69

104.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.29 $4.29

-6.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.87 $1.87

55.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$55.7 $55.7

149.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.95 $3.95

-22.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.75 $1.75

21.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$28.86 $28.86

45.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.90 $0.90

30.00%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.5K $27.5K

25.36%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.71%

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

$219 $219

$189 $189

15.99%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$51.9 $51.9

43.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$66.9 $66.9

5.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$39.43 $39.43

183.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$12.43 $12.43

502.25%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.21 $14.21

55.81%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,376 $1,376

158.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$30.1K $30.1K

106.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$56.2 $56.2

34.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$38.25 $38.25

33.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$78.7 $78.7

56.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$69.0 $69.0

102.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,681 $1,681

167.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,446 $1,446

112.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,724 $3,724

153.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,169 $3,169

63.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$3,540 $3,540

411.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$3,499 $3,499

91.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,955 $3,955

32.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.1

12.46%

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 Lowell, MA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Lowell, MA

$1.4K 54.4% 53% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Lowell, MA

$371 13.9% 34.2% $192

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Lowell, MA

$284 10.7% 35.6% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Lowell, MA

$308 11.6% 15.4% $56

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Lowell, MA

$109 4.1% 37.8% $66

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Lowell, MA

$76 2.9% 53.8% $88

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Lowell, MA

$68 2.6% 56.6% $88

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,681 in Lowell, MA. 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 32% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $69 in Lowell, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $371 – making Lowell, MA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Lowell, MA

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

106,519

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Lowell, MA 330 km

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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 Lowell, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,992 in Lowell, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lowell, MA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,681 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Lowell, MA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,376 in Lowell, MA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,661 in Lowell, MA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lowell, MA – 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 Lowell, MA. 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.