Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Mercedes

For one person, living is cheaper in Mercedes: $1,293 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $43,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,950
/mo nomad
Mercedes
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,293
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $1,293 in Mercedes, rent included.

  • New York, NY $4,950
  • Mercedes $1,293

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $1,970 in Mercedes, rent included.

  • New York, NY $7,265
  • Mercedes $1,970

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $2,647 in Mercedes, rent included.

  • New York, NY $9,581
  • Mercedes $2,647

New York, NY costs about 283% more than Mercedes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New York, NY sits 267% above the global median, while Mercedes is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Mercedes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.65 $24.65
$14.84 UYU 595
66.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$122 $122
$62.3 UYU 2,501
95.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.91 $13.91
$14.30 UYU 574
-2.73%
Cappuccino
$6.59 $6.59
$2.52 UYU 101
161.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.84 $3.84
$2.73 UYU 110
40.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 $2.87
$0.93 UYU 37.27
208.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.79 $7.79
$2.53 UYU 102
207.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.85 $9.85
$3.81 UYU 153
158.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Mercedes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 $1.38
$1.32 UYU 53.2
4.55%
White Bread (500g)
$4.68 $4.68
$2.89 UYU 116
61.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.54 $7.54
$1.45 UYU 58.4
420.00%
Eggs
$5.93 $5.93
$2.79 UYU 112
112.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.83 $18.83
$13.95 UYU 560
34.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.36 $17.36
$11.88 UYU 477
46.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.51 $18.51
$7.56 UYU 304
144.84%
Apples (1kg)
$6.74 $6.74
$2.01 UYU 80.7
235.32%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 $2.09
$2.51 UYU 101
-16.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.07 $6.07
$1.09 UYU 43.65
456.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.74 $6.74
$2.95 UYU 119
128.47%
Potato (1kg)
$4.05 $4.05
$1.98 UYU 79.4
104.55%
Onion (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$2.14 UYU 86.0
104.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.89 $2.89
$1.34 UYU 54.0
115.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.60 $2.60
$1.71 UYU 68.8
52.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.72 $18.72
$5.06 UYU 203
269.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.06 $20.06
$8.96 UYU 359
123.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.31 UYU 92.8
40.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73 $3.73
$2.77 UYU 111
34.66%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Mercedes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.06 $3.06
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$140 $140
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 $3.04
$1.82 UYU 73.2
67.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 $2.15
$0.44 UYU 17.54
388.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.82 $41.82
$10.48 UYU 421
299.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$2.22 UYU 89.3
-49.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K $35.5K
$26.8K UYU 1.1M
32.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$37.1K UYU 1.5M
-29.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Mercedes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$191 UYU 7,680
14.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$73.2 $73.2
$21.03 UYU 844
248.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.0 $72.0
$44.67 UYU 1,793
61.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Mercedes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$123 $123
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$67.7 $67.7
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$22.85 $22.85
$12.15 UYU 488
88.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Mercedes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,333 $3,333
$613 UYU 24.6K
443.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$60.0K $60.0K
$10.9K UYU 435.7K
452.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Mercedes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.2 $75.2
$104 UYU 4,192
-28.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$56.1 UYU 2,250
-6.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 $122
$125 UYU 5,005
-2.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 $133
$131 UYU 5,255
1.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Mercedes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,389 $4,389
$581 UYU 23.3K
655.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,130 $3,130
$296 UYU 11.9K
959.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$8,918 $8,918
$619 UYU 24.9K
1339.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,354 $5,354
$446 UYU 17.9K
1099.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$19.4K $19.4K
$3,032 UYU 121.7K
539.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,806 $6,806
$2,007 UYU 80.5K
239.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Mercedes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,343 $5,343
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
5.74
18.82%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mercedes: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3.1K
Mercedes
$296 90.6% $2.8K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$545
Mercedes
$298 45.2% $247
Eating Out
New York, NY
$404
Mercedes
$227 43.8% $177
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$364
Mercedes
$257 29.4% $107
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$172
Mercedes
$187 8.8% $15
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$168
Mercedes
$24 * 85.6% $144
Getting Around
New York, NY
$167
Mercedes
$4 * 97.6% $163

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $581 in Mercedes. 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 $122 in New York, NY versus $62.0 in Mercedes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $298 – making Mercedes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇺🇾 Mercedes
🕒 Local time
01:00 1:00 AM
02:00 2:00 AM
1 h ahead of New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
41,975
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Mercedes 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Mercedes

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 Mercedes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, New York, NY or Mercedes?
New York, NY costs about 283% more than Mercedes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in New York, NY and in Mercedes?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $1,940 in Mercedes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, New York, NY or Mercedes?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mercedes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in New York, NY and in Mercedes?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in New York, NY and $62.0 in Mercedes. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in New York, NY or in Mercedes?
Groceries cost about 83% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in New York, NY or in Mercedes?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mercedes, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Mercedes it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, New York, NY or Mercedes?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mercedes costs $1,293 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is New York, NY compared to Mercedes?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to New York, NY or to Mercedes?
If budget matters most, go with Mercedes. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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