Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Macaé

For one person, living is cheaper in Macaé: $885 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $48,800 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Macaé
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Macaé Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Macaé

🇧🇷 Brazil

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,950 in New York, NY versus $885 in Macaé.

New York, NY $4,950
Macaé $885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,265 in New York, NY versus $1,498 in Macaé.

New York, NY $7,265
Macaé $1,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,581 in New York, NY versus $2,111 in Macaé.

New York, NY $9,581
Macaé $2,111

Living in New York, NY is roughly 459% more expensive than in Macaé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: New York, NY is 267% above, Macaé is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$5.49 R$27.83

349.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$30.40 R$154

299.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$7.09 R$35.95

96.19%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$1.70 R$8.63

287.65%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$1.41 R$7.15

172.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$0.59 R$2.99

386.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$1.24 R$6.26

528.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$2.75 R$13.93

258.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.97 R$4.91

42.27%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$1.53 R$7.73

205.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$1.37 R$6.95

450.36%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$1.96 R$9.92

202.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$9.22 R$46.73

104.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$3.36 R$17.04

416.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$9.58 R$48.57

93.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$1.96 R$9.91

243.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.21 R$6.12

72.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$0.93 R$4.69

552.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$1.23 R$6.26

447.97%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$0.70 R$3.53

478.57%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$0.86 R$4.33

408.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$0.57 R$2.88

407.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$0.48 R$2.45

441.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$1.58 R$8.00

1084.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$5.99 R$30.36

234.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.03 R$5.21

215.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.23 R$6.24

203.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.55 R$7.83

97.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$84.2 R$427

66.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.36 R$6.89

123.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.78 R$3.96

175.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$8.32 R$42.19

402.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.26 R$6.41

-11.11%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$21.7K R$110.0K

63.43%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$31.4K R$159.2K

-17.10%

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

$219 $219

$99.6 R$505

119.82%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$9.95 R$50.4

635.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$19.03 R$96.5

278.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$40.47 R$205

203.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$29.67 R$150

128.08%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$6.77 R$34.31

237.52%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$659 R$3,339

405.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$7,291 R$37.0K

722.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$63.7 R$323

18.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$31.54 R$160

66.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$67.8 R$343

79.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$48.84 R$248

172.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$375 R$1,899

1071.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$237 R$1,199

1222.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$911 R$4,620

878.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$673 R$3,410

695.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$1,275 R$6,465

1421.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$787 R$3,989

765.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$809 R$4,104

559.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

10.67

-36.08%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Macaé: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Macaé

$237 26.7% 92.4% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Macaé

$170 19.2% 68.8% $375

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Macaé

$105 11.9% 73.9% $298

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Macaé

$129 14.5% 64.7% $236

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Macaé

$95 10.8% 44.6% $77

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Macaé

$54 6.1% 67.9% $114

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Macaé

$96 10.8% 42.6% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,389 in New York, NY and $375 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 560% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $122 in New York, NY vs $30.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $170 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇧🇷 Macaé

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

01:34 1:34 AM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

246,391

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

New York, NY Macaé 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Macaé differ by about 459% in total monthly costs ($4,950 vs $885 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 560% 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: $4,389 in New York, NY versus $375 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $122 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,950 per month in New York, NY versus $885 in Macaé – a 459% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $885 in Macaé versus $4,950 in New York, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 459% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.