Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterey Park, CA: $2,869 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 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
139

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,869 in Monterey Park, CA.

New York, NY $4,938
Monterey Park, CA $2,869

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,188 in Monterey Park, CA.

New York, NY $7,273
Monterey Park, CA $4,188

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $5,507 in Monterey Park, CA.

New York, NY $9,608
Monterey Park, CA $5,507

Living in New York, NY is roughly 72% more expensive than in Monterey Park, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Monterey Park, CA 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$25.99 $25.99

-3.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$80.3 $80.3

49.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$14.96 $14.96

-8.16%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$6.09 $6.09

8.37%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.06 $3.06

24.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.66 $2.66

7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$7.85 $7.85

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$9.94 $9.94

1.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.34 $1.34

2.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.89 $4.89

-2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.72 $4.72

62.92%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$5.60 $5.60

4.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$11.41 $11.41

68.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$8.91 $8.91

100.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$19.39 $19.39

-1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.60 $4.60

45.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.23 $2.23

2.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.07 $4.07

57.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.62 $5.62

20.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.30 $3.30

19.09%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.88 $2.88

56.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.00 $2.00

39.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.44 $2.44

2.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$11.80 $11.80

53.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$14.79 $14.79

36.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.42 $2.42

34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.70 $2.70

38.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.23 $2.23

30.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.03 $3.03

0.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.88 $1.88

14.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$32.72 $32.72

26.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.49 $1.49

-24.83%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$29.4K $29.4K

12.66%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.17%

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

$219 $219

$269 $269

-18.52%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$87.3 $87.3

-13.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$80.1 $80.1

-11.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$42.12 $42.12

174.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$18.11 $18.11

18.00%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,202 $1,202

185.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$32.4K $32.4K

90.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$63.8 $63.8

17.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$54.3 $54.3

-3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$120 $120

-2.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$214 $214

-36.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,602 $1,602

171.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,300 $1,300

139.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,556 $2,556

256.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,133 $2,133

152.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,371 $2,371

713.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,221 $2,221

212.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$1,585 $1,585

230.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.31

8.56%

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 Park, CA: 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%

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 45.3% 58.3% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Monterey Park, CA

$421 14.7% 23.7% $131

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Monterey Park, CA

$408 14.2% 0.2% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Monterey Park, CA

$437 15.2% 19.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Monterey Park, CA

$203 7.1% 19.4% $33

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Monterey Park, CA

$21 * 0.7% 87.3% $147

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Monterey Park, CA

$78 2.7% 50.5% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,602 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 230% 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: $120 in New York, NY vs $80.0 in Monterey Park, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $421 per month, with Monterey Park, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

60,269

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Monterey Park, CA 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monterey Park, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterey Park, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 230% 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: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,602 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,938 per month in New York, NY versus $2,869 in Monterey Park, CA – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Monterey Park, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monterey Park, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,869 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterey Park, CA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, New York, NY and Monterey Park, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Monterey Park, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.