Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Medford, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medford, MA: $3,087 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 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
149

Cost of Living Index in Medford, MA
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Medford, MA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Medford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,087

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,087 in Medford, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Medford, MA $3,087

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,233 in Medford, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Medford, MA $4,233

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,378 in Medford, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Medford, MA $5,378

New York, NY costs about 60% more than Medford, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and Medford, MA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Medford, MA by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$18.23 $18.23

56.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$95.9 $95.9

23.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.15 $12.15

23.79%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.50 $5.50

18.73%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.96 $2.96

33.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.52 $2.52

19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.89 $7.89

3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.73 $8.73

12.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.08 $1.08

26.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.00 $4.00

24.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.35 $5.35

45.98%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.74 $4.74

25.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.48 $11.48

64.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$14.58 $14.58

23.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$17.81 $17.81

6.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.61 $6.61

2.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.80 $1.80

26.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.38 $5.38

26.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.54 $5.54

27.98%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.47 $4.47

-5.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.18 $4.18

11.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.01 $3.01

-4.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.00 $3.00

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.10 $13.10

43.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$13.47 $13.47

49.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.10 $2.10

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.29 $4.29

-6.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.38 $2.38

22.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$60.0 $60.0

131.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.63 $2.63

17.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.77 $1.77

19.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$28.34 $28.34

48.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.07 $1.07

9.35%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.8K $27.8K

23.95%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.28%

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

$219 $219

$246 $246

-10.64%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$54.9 $54.9

35.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$85.3 $85.3

-17.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$41.33 $41.33

170.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.19 $14.19

56.03%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,839 $1,839

93.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$30.1K $30.1K

106.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$57.8 $57.8

30.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$38.42 $38.42

33.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$79.3 $79.3

55.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$99.8 $99.8

39.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,600 $1,600

181.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,639 $1,639

87.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,510 $2,510

276.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,164 $2,164

139.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,745 $2,745

559.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,408 $2,408

177.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.64

3.31%

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 Medford, MA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Medford, MA

$1.6K 53.1% 46.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Medford, MA

$461 14.9% 18.1% $102

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Medford, MA

$327 10.6% 25.7% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Medford, MA

$386 12.5% 6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Medford, MA

$124 4% 29.3% $51

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Medford, MA

$81 2.6% 50.7% $83

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Medford, MA

$70 2.3% 55.4% $87

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,600 in Medford, MA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $96 in Medford, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $461 – making Medford, MA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Medford, MA

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

56,173

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Medford, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,631 in Medford, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medford, MA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,600 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,087 in Medford, MA. That makes Medford, MA about 38% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Medford, MA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,087 in Medford, MA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Medford, MA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 38% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.