Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Merrill, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Merrill, WI: $2,669 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Merrill, WI
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Merrill, WI Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Merrill, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,669 in Merrill, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Merrill, WI $2,669

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,917 in Merrill, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Merrill, WI $3,917

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $5,164 in Merrill, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Merrill, WI $5,164

New York, NY costs about 85% more than Merrill, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Merrill, WI sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Merrill, WI by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$19.92 $19.92

25.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$73.8 $73.8

63.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$11.41 $11.41

20.42%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.22 $5.22

26.44%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.73 $2.73

39.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.99 $1.99

44.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.83 $5.83

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.18 $7.18

40.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.06 $1.06

29.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.58 $3.58

32.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.30 $4.30

78.84%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.05 $4.05

44.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$12.47 $12.47

54.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$11.25 $11.25

58.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$17.16 $17.16

10.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.95 $4.95

35.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.57 $1.57

45.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.20 $4.20

52.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.78 $4.78

41.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.85 $2.85

37.89%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.03 $3.03

49.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.11 $2.11

32.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.19 $2.19

14.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$10.24 $10.24

76.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.17 $15.17

32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.96 $1.96

66.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.41 $3.41

9.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.05 $2.05

42.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$110 $110

30.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.17 $3.17

-3.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.76 $1.76

22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$30.41 $30.41

35.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.97 $0.97

15.46%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.8K $27.8K

19.26%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.56%

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

$219 $219

$197 $197

11.39%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$58.0 $58.0

29.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$69.8 $69.8

1.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$41.50 $41.50

178.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$8.82 $8.82

666.67%

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$13.89 $13.89

53.85%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,421 $1,421

141.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$23.8K $23.8K

158.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$53.1 $53.1

41.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.32 $41.32

26.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$90.2 $90.2

29.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$117 $117

15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,625 $1,625

167.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,295 $1,295

140.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,535 $2,535

259.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,148 $2,148

150.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,743 $2,743

602.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,374 $2,374

192.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$7,146 $7,146

-26.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Merrill, WI: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Merrill, WI

$1.3K 48.5% 58.5% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Merrill, WI

$396 14.8% 28.3% $156

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Merrill, WI

$319 11.9% 21.7% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Merrill, WI

$325 12.2% 11.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Merrill, WI

$135 5.1% 20.4% $35

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Merrill, WI

$130 4.9% 22.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Merrill, WI

$69 2.6% 56.2% $89

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,625 in Merrill, WI. 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 36% higher in Merrill, WI, 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 $120 in New York, NY versus $74.0 in Merrill, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $396 – making Merrill, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Merrill, WI

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

23:50 11:50 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

9,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Merrill, WI 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Merrill, WI

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 Merrill, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $4,004 in Merrill, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Merrill, WI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY and $74.0 in Merrill, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,669 in Merrill, WI. That's a gap of about 85%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,669 in Merrill, WI. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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.

If budget matters most, go with Merrill, WI. 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.