Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Manassas, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Manassas, VA: $3,064 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Manassas, VA
Learn more

Manassas, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Manassas, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,950 in New York, NY versus $3,064 in Manassas, VA.

New York, NY $4,950
Manassas, VA $3,064

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,265 in New York, NY versus $4,424 in Manassas, VA.

New York, NY $7,265
Manassas, VA $4,424

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,581 in New York, NY versus $5,784 in Manassas, VA.

New York, NY $9,581
Manassas, VA $5,784

Living in New York, NY is roughly 62% more expensive than in Manassas, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 267% above, Manassas, VA 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$24.52 $24.52

0.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$90.9 $90.9

33.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$12.11 $12.11

14.86%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$6.68 $6.68

-1.35%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.59 $2.59

48.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.36 $2.36

21.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$6.63 $6.63

17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$8.19 $8.19

20.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.05 $1.05

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.73 $3.73

25.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$7.19 $7.19

4.87%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$4.76 $4.76

24.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$10.94 $10.94

72.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$14.50 $14.50

19.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$20.11 $20.11

-7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$7.59 $7.59

-11.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.26 $2.26

-7.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$7.99 $7.99

-24.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$6.87 $6.87

-1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$5.64 $5.64

-28.19%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.15 $4.15

5.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.24 $2.24

29.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.11 $2.11

23.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.03 $9.03

107.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$14.18 $14.18

41.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.09 $2.09

55.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.84 $3.84

-2.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$5.14 $5.14

-40.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$101 $101

39.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.09 $3.09

-1.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.46 $1.46

47.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$20.39 $20.39

105.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.04 $1.04

7.69%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$35.9K $35.9K

-1.30%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$24.8K $24.8K

5.20%

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

$219 $219

$211 $211

3.72%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$53.0 $53.0

38.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$60.0 $60.0

19.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$44.15 $44.15

177.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$19.98 $19.98

238.69%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$17.77 $17.77

28.59%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$1,916 $1,916

73.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$12.1K $12.1K

395.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$47.00 $47.00

59.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$49.01 $49.01

6.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$102 $102

18.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$105 $105

27.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$1,838 $1,838

138.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,526 $1,526

105.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$2,920 $2,920

205.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$2,293 $2,293

133.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$2,733 $2,733

610.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$2,484 $2,484

174.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$4,795 $4,795

11.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.64

2.71%

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 Manassas, VA: 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%

Manassas, VA

$1.5K 49.8% 51.3% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Manassas, VA

$485 15.8% 11% $60

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Manassas, VA

$382 12.5% 5.4% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Manassas, VA

$324 10.6% 11% $40

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Manassas, VA

$136 4.5% 20.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Manassas, VA

$80 2.6% 52.7% $89

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Manassas, VA

$132 4.3% 21% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,389 in New York, NY and $1,838 in Manassas, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 11% 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 $91.0 in Manassas, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $485 per month, with Manassas, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Manassas, VA

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

42,772

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Manassas, VA 350 km

From you

New York, NY
Manassas, VA

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 Manassas, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manassas, VA wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manassas, VA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $1,838 in Manassas, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Manassas, VA runs roughly 40% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,333 in New York, NY versus $1,916 in Manassas, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Manassas, VA 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 Manassas, VA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,064 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manassas, VA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Manassas, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.