Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Modesto, CA: $2,708 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 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 Modesto, CA
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Modesto, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,708 in Modesto, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Modesto, CA $2,708

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,910 in Modesto, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Modesto, CA $3,910

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,112 in Modesto, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Modesto, CA $5,112

New York, NY costs about 82% more than Modesto, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and Modesto, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Modesto, CA by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$15.19 $15.19

87.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$79.2 $79.2

49.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$8.88 $8.88

69.37%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.39 $5.39

21.15%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.61 $2.61

51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.58 $1.58

90.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.07 $5.07

60.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.12 $7.12

38.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.05 $1.05

30.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.65 $3.65

36.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.09 $4.09

90.95%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.54 $5.54

7.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.89 $12.89

46.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$13.35 $13.35

35.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.65 $19.65

-3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.38 $5.38

25.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.01 $2.01

12.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.54 $5.54

23.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.46 $5.46

29.85%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.53 $3.53

19.55%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.93 $2.93

58.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.43 $2.43

18.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.55 $2.55

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.56 $11.56

62.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.25 $15.25

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.88 $1.88

83.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.33 $3.33

20.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.96 $1.96

48.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$40.49 $40.49

243.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.43 $3.43

-10.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.05 $3.05

-30.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$30.56 $30.56

37.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.43 $1.43

-18.18%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$36.9K $36.9K

-6.62%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.04%

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

$219 $219

$257 $257

-14.62%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$48.45 $48.45

53.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$68.6 $68.6

2.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$37.85 $37.85

195.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$14.77 $14.77

406.84%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$11.21 $11.21

97.50%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,836 $1,836

93.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$40.6K $40.6K

53.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$47.86 $47.86

57.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.21 $39.21

30.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$95.1 $95.1

29.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$121 $121

15.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,302 $1,302

245.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,359 $1,359

126.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,824 $1,824

417.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,155 $2,155

140.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$3,619 $3,619

400.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,962 $2,962

125.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,071 $4,071

28.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.1

12.46%

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 Modesto, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Modesto, CA

$1.4K 50.2% 55.8% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Modesto, CA

$442 16.3% 21.6% $121

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Modesto, CA

$269 9.9% 38.8% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Modesto, CA

$374 13.8% 2.8% $10

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Modesto, CA

$136 5% 22.2% $39

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Modesto, CA

$67 2.5% 59.2% $97

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Modesto, CA

$60 2.2% 61.4% $96

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,302 in Modesto, CA. 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 28% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $79 in Modesto, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $442 – making Modesto, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

06:30 6:30 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

211,266

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Modesto, CA 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Modesto, 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 Modesto, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 82% more than Modesto, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,062 in Modesto, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Modesto, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,302 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,708 in Modesto, CA. That makes Modesto, CA about 45% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 71% less in Modesto, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,708 in Modesto, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Modesto, CA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.