Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in McLean, VA: $2,991 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 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 McLean, VA
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McLean, VA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

McLean, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,991

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in McLean, 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 McLean, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,991 in McLean, VA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
McLean, VA $2,991

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,744 in McLean, VA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
McLean, VA $4,744

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $6,496 in McLean, VA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
McLean, VA $6,496

New York, NY costs about 65% more than McLean, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and McLean, VA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, McLean, VA by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$16.24 $16.24

75.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$69.5 $69.5

70.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.39 $11.39

32.05%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.41 $5.41

20.70%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.34 $2.34

69.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.98 $1.98

52.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.86 $8.86

-7.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$10.14 $10.14

-2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.29 $1.29

6.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.18 $4.18

18.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.17 $2.17

259.91%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.76 $4.76

25.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$16.84 $16.84

12.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$16.61 $16.61

8.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$18.61 $18.61

2.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.22 $6.22

8.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.68 $1.68

35.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.99 $4.99

36.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.83 $5.83

21.61%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.91 $2.91

45.02%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.73 $3.73

24.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.60 $2.60

10.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.75 $2.75

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.85 $13.85

35.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$16.02 $16.02

25.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.26 $3.26

5.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$5.68 $5.68

-29.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.46 $2.46

18.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.02 $4.02

-23.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.58 $1.58

34.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$24.92 $24.92

68.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.88 $0.88

32.95%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.9K $34.9K

-1.13%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.25%

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

$219 $219

$213 $213

2.89%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$74.9 $74.9

-0.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$54.7 $54.7

28.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$88.4 $88.4

26.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$17.64 $17.64

25.51%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,901 $1,901

87.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$41.7K $41.7K

49.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$52.2 $52.2

44.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$44.80 $44.80

14.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$70.6 $70.6

74.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$63.9 $63.9

118.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,751 $2,751

63.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,607 $1,607

91.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$4,026 $4,026

134.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,481 $3,481

49.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$5,837 $5,837

-10.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.63

3.47%

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 McLean, VA: 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%

McLean, VA

$1.6K 53.7% 47.8% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

McLean, VA

$481 16.1% 14.5% $82

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

McLean, VA

$311 10.4% 29.4% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

McLean, VA

$343 11.5% 5.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

McLean, VA

$104 3.5% 40.6% $71

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

McLean, VA

$22 * 0.7% 86.8% $143

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

McLean, VA

$124 4.1% 20.8% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,751 in McLean, VA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in McLean, VA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $69 in McLean, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $481 – making McLean, VA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 McLean, VA

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

48,115

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY McLean, VA 320 km

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 McLean, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY, $2,991 in McLean, VA – McLean, VA comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,487 in McLean, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in McLean, VA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,751 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,991 in McLean, VA. That makes McLean, VA about 39% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,901 in McLean, VA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward McLean, VA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.