Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Manchester, NH

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester, NH: $2,963 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 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
144

Cost of Living Index in Manchester, NH
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Manchester, NH Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Manchester, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,963 in Manchester, NH.

New York, NY $4,941
Manchester, NH $2,963

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $4,232 in Manchester, NH.

New York, NY $7,225
Manchester, NH $4,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $5,501 in Manchester, NH.

New York, NY $9,509
Manchester, NH $5,501

Living in New York, NY is roughly 67% more expensive than in Manchester, NH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Manchester, NH 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$26.64 $26.64

7.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$79.0 $79.0

49.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.06 $11.06

35.99%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.51 $5.51

18.51%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.39 $2.39

65.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.04 $2.04

47.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.96 $5.96

36.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.10 $7.10

38.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.02 $1.02

34.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.90 $2.90

71.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.74 $4.74

64.77%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.54 $4.54

31.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.89 $9.89

91.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.71 $10.71

68.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.53 $19.53

-2.46%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.82 $5.82

16.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.32 $2.32

-2.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.51 $4.51

51.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.07 $6.07

16.80%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.45 $2.45

72.24%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.21 $3.21

44.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.15 $2.15

33.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.36 $2.36

10.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.66 $9.66

94.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.75 $14.75

36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.93 $1.93

78.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$5.07 $5.07

-20.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.97 $1.97

47.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$61.0 $61.0

127.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.12 $3.12

-1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.68 $1.68

26.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$30.19 $30.19

38.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.93 $0.93

25.81%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$33.5K $33.5K

2.78%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.66%

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

$219 $219

$230 $230

-4.61%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$62.3 $62.3

19.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$69.8 $69.8

0.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$39.74 $39.74

181.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$39.23 $39.23

90.82%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$11.35 $11.35

95.07%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,194 $1,194

198.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.0K $23.0K

170.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$44.75 $44.75

68.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$45.66 $45.66

12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$90.4 $90.4

36.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$110 $110

27.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,803 $1,803

149.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,543 $1,543

99.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,878 $2,878

228.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,348 $2,348

121.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$3,181 $3,181

469.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,940 $2,940

127.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,254 $4,254

22.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.21

10.47%

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 Manchester, NH: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Manchester, NH

$1.5K 52.1% 49.9% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Manchester, NH

$410 13.8% 27.3% $153

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Manchester, NH

$374 12.6% 15% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Manchester, NH

$362 12.2% 0.5% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Manchester, NH

$131 4.4% 25.4% $45

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Manchester, NH

$80 2.7% 51.1% $84

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Manchester, NH

$62 2.1% 60% $94

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,803 in Manchester, NH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 23% 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $79 in Manchester, NH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $410 per month, with Manchester, NH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Manchester, NH

🕒 Local time

23:31 11:31 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

109,497

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Manchester, NH 350 km

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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 Manchester, NH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester, NH is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% 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 $1,803 in Manchester, NH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $1,194 in Manchester, NH. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Manchester, NH is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Manchester, NH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.