Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterey, CA: $3,616 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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
173

Cost of Living Index in Monterey, CA
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Monterey, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monterey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $3,616 in Monterey, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Monterey, CA $3,616

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $5,349 in Monterey, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Monterey, CA $5,349

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $7,082 in Monterey, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Monterey, CA $7,082

New York, NY costs about 37% more than Monterey, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Monterey, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Monterey, CA by 167%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$20.27 $20.27

23.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$78.6 $78.6

53.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$12.10 $12.10

13.55%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.22 $5.22

26.44%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.20 $3.20

19.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.62 $1.62

77.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.45 $5.45

45.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$6.06 $6.06

66.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.65 $1.65

-16.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.17 $3.17

49.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$2.63 $2.63

192.40%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.57 $4.57

28.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$9.57 $9.57

101.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$13.38 $13.38

33.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$6.12 $6.12

210.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.66 $3.66

82.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.20 $1.20

90.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$3.22 $3.22

99.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.00 $4.00

68.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.75 $2.75

42.91%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.96 $1.96

130.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.74 $1.74

60.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.25 $1.25

100.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$11.59 $11.59

56.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$17.31 $17.31

16.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.73 $2.73

19.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.85 $1.85

102.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.02 $2.02

44.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$52.9 $52.9

169.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.58 $1.58

93.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.95 $0.95

127.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$35.04 $35.04

17.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.53 $1.53

-26.80%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$28.9K $28.9K

14.67%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.28%

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

$219 $219

$238 $238

-7.88%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$75.1 $75.1

0.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$71.7 $71.7

-1.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$84.1 $84.1

37.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$10.63 $10.63

536.12%

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$12.75 $12.75

67.61%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$555 $555

518.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$12.5K $12.5K

392.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$76.8 $76.8

-2.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$90.2 $90.2

-42.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$129 $129

-9.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$2,490 $2,490

74.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$2,205 $2,205

41.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$4,056 $4,056

124.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$4,027 $4,027

33.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$7,909 $7,909

143.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$5,838 $5,838

18.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$4,771 $4,771

9.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.62

3.47%

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 Monterey, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Monterey, CA

$2.2K 61% 29.2% $912

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Monterey, CA

$335 9.3% 39.3% $217

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Monterey, CA

$320 8.8% 21.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Monterey, CA

$385 10.6% 5.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Monterey, CA

$194 5.4% 13.7% $23

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Monterey, CA

$67 1.9% 60% $101

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Monterey, CA

$110 3% 30.7% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $2,490 in Monterey, 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 10% 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 $120 in New York, NY versus $79.0 in Monterey, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $335 – making Monterey, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Monterey, CA

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

07:00 7:00 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

28,803

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Monterey, CA 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 37%, 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 $5,424 in Monterey, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,938 in New York, NY and $3,616 in Monterey, CA. That's a gap of about 37%.

Public transport costs about 170% less in Monterey, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $3,616 in Monterey, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Monterey, CA – 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 Monterey, CA. 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.