Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Manhattan, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Manhattan, KS: $2,248 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,300 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
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Manhattan, KS Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,248

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,248 in Manhattan, KS.

New York, NY $4,941
Manhattan, KS $2,248

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,250 in Manhattan, KS.

New York, NY $7,225
Manhattan, KS $3,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $4,252 in Manhattan, KS.

New York, NY $9,509
Manhattan, KS $4,252

Living in New York, NY is roughly 120% more expensive than in Manhattan, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Manhattan, KS 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$14.90 $14.90

91.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$81.4 $81.4

45.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.21 $12.21

23.18%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.43 $5.43

20.26%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.04 $2.04

94.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.46 $1.46

106.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.90 $4.90

66.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.25 $9.25

6.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.94 $0.94

45.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.29 $3.29

51.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$6.01 $6.01

29.95%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.57 $4.57

30.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.49 $11.49

64.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$8.54 $8.54

111.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$14.95 $14.95

27.42%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.73 $6.73

0.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.16 $2.16

5.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.87 $5.87

16.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.22 $4.22

68.01%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.43 $3.43

23.03%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.84 $3.84

21.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.84 $1.84

55.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.58 $2.58

0.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.02 $9.02

108.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$16.94 $16.94

18.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.71 $1.71

101.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.56 $2.56

57.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$60.7 $60.7

129.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.87 $4.87

-36.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.82 $1.82

16.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$34.66 $34.66

21.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.85 $0.85

37.65%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.0K $28.0K

23.22%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.30%

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

$219 $219

$147 $147

49.23%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$46.90 $46.90

58.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$66.1 $66.1

6.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$76.0 $76.0

47.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.75 $14.75

50.10%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$814 $814

336.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$11.3K $11.3K

450.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$47.85 $47.85

58.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$35.46 $35.46

44.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$90.7 $90.7

35.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$117 $117

19.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$900 $900

399.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$998 $998

208.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,462 $1,462

545.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,412 $1,412

267.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,514 $1,514

1096.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,504 $1,504

344.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,407 $3,407

53.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.33

8.37%

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 Manhattan, KS: 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%

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4% 67.6% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Manhattan, KS

$402 17.9% 28.7% $161

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Manhattan, KS

$278 12.4% 36.9% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Manhattan, KS

$260 11.6% 28.5% $104

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Manhattan, KS

$131 5.8% 25.4% $45

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.3% 54.6% $90

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Manhattan, KS

$106 4.7% 32.5% $51

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 $4,499 in New York, NY and $900 in Manhattan, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 53% 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 $81 in Manhattan, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $402 per month, with Manhattan, KS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

07:28 7:28 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

1,694,251

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Manhattan, KS 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Manhattan, KS

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 Manhattan, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manhattan, KS is about 55% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 53% 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 $900 in Manhattan, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $814 in Manhattan, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,248 in Manhattan, KS versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Manhattan, KS but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Manhattan, KS 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 Manhattan, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.