Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Merced, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Merced, CA: $2,556 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $28,600 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Merced, CA
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Merced, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,556 in Merced, CA.

New York, NY $4,941
Merced, CA $2,556

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,713 in Merced, CA.

New York, NY $7,225
Merced, CA $3,713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $4,870 in Merced, CA.

New York, NY $9,509
Merced, CA $4,870

Living in New York, NY is roughly 93% more expensive than in Merced, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Merced, CA 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$17.37 $17.37

64.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$40.27 $40.27

194.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.91 $11.91

26.28%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.79 $5.79

12.78%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.43 $2.43

62.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.47 $1.47

104.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.95 $8.95

-8.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$10.02 $10.02

-1.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.24 $1.24

10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.35 $4.35

14.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.04 $4.04

93.32%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.82 $5.82

2.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$19.36 $19.36

-2.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$14.35 $14.35

25.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$21.51 $21.51

-11.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.35 $4.35

55.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.94 $1.94

17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.64 $5.64

21.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.49 $5.49

29.14%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.52 $3.52

19.89%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.03 $3.03

53.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.35 $2.35

22.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.55 $2.55

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.81 $11.81

58.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.91 $15.91

26.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.42 $2.42

42.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.31 $3.31

21.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.54 $1.54

88.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$61.1 $61.1

127.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.03 $3.03

1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.70 $1.70

24.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$26.85 $26.85

56.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.33 $1.33

-12.03%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$36.4K $36.4K

-5.41%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.37%

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

$219 $219

$240 $240

-8.48%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$29.53 $29.53

151.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$84.6 $84.6

-17.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$33.09 $33.09

238.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$13.86 $13.86

440.12%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$16.14 $16.14

37.17%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,870 $1,870

90.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$39.2K $39.2K

58.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$60.7 $60.7

24.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$52.1 $52.1

-1.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$102 $102

20.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$121 $121

15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,641 $1,641

174.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,102 $1,102

179.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,970 $1,970

379.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,889 $1,889

174.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,939 $2,939

516.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,932 $2,932

128.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,357 $3,357

55.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.36

7.86%

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 Merced, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Merced, CA

$1.1K 43.1% 64.2% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Merced, CA

$480 18.8% 14.7% $83

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Merced, CA

$325 12.7% 26.3% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Merced, CA

$354 13.9% 2.7% $10

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Merced, CA

$151 5.9% 13.7% $24

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Merced, CA

$79 3.1% 52% $85

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Merced, CA

$65 2.6% 58.2% $91

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,641 in Merced, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 56% 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 $40 in Merced, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $480 per month, with Merced, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🕒 Local time

00:33 12:33 AM

21:33 9:33 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

83,316

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Merced, CA 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Merced, CA

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 Merced, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,556 in Merced, CA, so Merced, CA is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% 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 $1,641 in Merced, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $1,870 in Merced, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,556 in Merced, CA versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Merced, CA but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Merced, CA 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 Merced, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.