Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Mayaguez

For one person, living is cheaper in Mayaguez: $1,292 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $43,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY, United States
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,906
/mo nomad
Mayaguez
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,292
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $1,292 in Mayaguez.

  • New York, NY $4,906
  • Mayaguez $1,292

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $1,995 in Mayaguez.

  • New York, NY $7,273
  • Mayaguez $1,995

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $2,698 in Mayaguez.

  • New York, NY $9,641
  • Mayaguez $2,698

Living in New York, NY is roughly 280% more expensive than in Mayaguez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: New York, NY is 263% above, Mayaguez is 4% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Mayaguez
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.93 $26.93
$13.19 $13.19
104.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$117 $117
$67.3 $67.3
73.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.60 $14.60
$9.31 $9.31
56.82%
Cappuccino
$6.54 $6.54
$3.60 $3.60
81.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86 $3.86
$1.24 $1.24
211.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 $2.95
$1.07 $1.07
175.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.08 $8.08
$2.92 $2.92
176.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.85 $9.85
$4.27 $4.27
130.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Mayaguez
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 $1.31
$2.20 $2.20
-40.45%
White Bread (500g)
$4.97 $4.97
$3.61 $3.61
37.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.70 $7.70
$2.33 $2.33
230.47%
Eggs
$6.09 $6.09
$7.83 $7.83
-22.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.55 $19.55
$12.28 $12.28
59.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.59 $17.59
$9.58 $9.58
83.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.26 $20.26
$13.07 $13.07
55.01%
Apples (1kg)
$6.99 $6.99
$4.93 $4.93
41.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 $2.21
$2.54 $2.54
-12.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.72 $6.72
$4.81 $4.81
39.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.12 $7.12
$4.71 $4.71
51.17%
Potato (1kg)
$4.61 $4.61
$3.69 $3.69
24.93%
Onion (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$3.86 $3.86
23.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.87 $2.87
$3.46 $3.46
-17.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.69 $2.69
$1.63 $1.63
65.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.14 $19.14
$12.11 $12.11
58.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.63 $19.63
$15.68 $15.68
25.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.32 $3.32
$3.00 $3.00
10.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.19 $4.19
$3.92 $3.92
6.89%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Mayaguez
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.02 $3.02
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 $139
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 $3.04
$2.48 $2.48
22.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.52 $1.52
44.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.33 $41.33
$42.02 $42.02
-1.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$0.93 $0.93
21.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K $34.5K
$35.2K $35.2K
-2.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$28.2K $28.2K
-8.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Mayaguez
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$232 $232
$322 $322
-27.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$71.0 $71.0
$68.1 $68.1
4.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.7 $67.7
$71.1 $71.1
-4.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Mayaguez
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$115 $115
$27.13 $27.13
325.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$76.8 $76.8
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$22.41 $22.41
$10.60 $10.60
111.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Mayaguez
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,606 $3,606
$824 $824
337.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$68.7K $68.7K
$12.1K $12.1K
466.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Mayaguez
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.3 $79.3
$55.3 $55.3
43.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.4 $51.4
$62.0 $62.0
-17.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 $121
$107 $107
13.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 $140
$114 $114
23.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Mayaguez
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,555 $4,555
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,040 $3,040
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$9,742 $9,742
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,331 $5,331
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.2K $18.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,685 $6,685
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Mayaguez
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,096 $5,096
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.89
6.55
5.19%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mayaguez: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3K
Mayaguez
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$567
Mayaguez
$412 27.4% $156
Eating Out
New York, NY
$425
Mayaguez
$209 50.8% $216
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$371
Mayaguez
$461 24.2% $90
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$176
Mayaguez
$152 13.9% $24
Getting Around
New York, NY
$165
Mayaguez
$10 * 93.9% $155
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$160
Mayaguez
$48 69.8% $112

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $117 in New York, NY vs $67 in Mayaguez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $412 per month, with Mayaguez cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇵🇷 Mayaguez
🕒 Local time
13:49 1:49 PM
14:49 2:49 PM
1 h ahead of New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
57,566
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Mayaguez 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Mayaguez

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 Mayaguez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mayaguez cheaper than New York, NY?
Mayaguez is about 74% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $7,358 in New York, NY and $1,938 in Mayaguez to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $3,606 in New York, NY versus $824 in Mayaguez. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in New York, NY or in Mayaguez?
Dining out is cheaper in Mayaguez – a meal for two runs $67 versus $117 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in New York, NY or in Mayaguez?
At $1,292 in Mayaguez versus $4,906 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mayaguez but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Mayaguez the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in New York, NY or in Mayaguez?
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.

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