Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Montgomery, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Montgomery, AL: $2,157 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,400 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Montgomery, AL
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Montgomery, AL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,157

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,157 in Montgomery, AL.

New York, NY $4,941
Montgomery, AL $2,157

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $2,969 in Montgomery, AL.

New York, NY $7,225
Montgomery, AL $2,969

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $3,781 in Montgomery, AL.

New York, NY $9,509
Montgomery, AL $3,781

Living in New York, NY is roughly 129% more expensive than in Montgomery, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Montgomery, AL 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$15.77 $15.77

81.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$55.5 $55.5

113.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.39 $10.39

44.75%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.57 $5.57

17.24%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.65 $2.65

49.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.10 $2.10

43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.40 $4.40

85.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.79 $4.79

105.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.89 $0.89

53.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.56 $3.56

39.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.08 $2.08

275.48%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.14 $3.14

90.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.20 $8.20

130.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$7.57 $7.57

138.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$14.55 $14.55

30.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.11 $4.11

64.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.30 $1.30

74.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$2.01 $2.01

239.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.00 $4.00

77.25%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.17 $3.17

33.12%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.80 $2.80

66.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.07 $2.07

38.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.21 $2.21

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.51 $8.51

120.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.99 $14.99

34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.95 $1.95

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.92 $3.92

2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.05 $2.05

41.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$45.11 $45.11

207.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.43 $2.43

26.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.64 $1.64

29.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$26.31 $26.31

59.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.87 $0.87

34.48%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.2K $28.2K

22.28%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.55%

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

$219 $219

$300 $300

-26.81%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$51.6 $51.6

43.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$71.3 $71.3

-1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$33.13 $33.13

237.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$28.24 $28.24

165.08%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$10.09 $10.09

119.43%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,385 $1,385

156.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$13.9K $13.9K

348.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$47.94 $47.94

57.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$35.15 $35.15

45.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$85.4 $85.4

44.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$94.8 $94.8

47.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,409 $1,409

219.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$898 $898

242.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,926 $1,926

390.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,210 $1,210

329.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,405 $1,405

1188.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,227 $1,227

445.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,599 $3,599

45.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.54

4.89%

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 Montgomery, AL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Montgomery, AL

$898 41.7% 70.8% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Montgomery, AL

$325 15.1% 42.2% $238

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Montgomery, AL

$275 12.7% 37.6% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Montgomery, AL

$423 19.6% 16.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Montgomery, AL

$118 5.5% 32.4% $57

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Montgomery, AL

$64 3% 61.1% $100

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Montgomery, AL

$53 2.5% 65.9% $103

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,409 in Montgomery, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 45% 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $56 in Montgomery, AL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $325 per month, with Montgomery, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Montgomery, AL

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

13:16 1:16 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

200,603

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Montgomery, AL 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Montgomery, AL

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 Montgomery, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,157 in Montgomery, AL, so Montgomery, AL is about 56% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,409 in Montgomery, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montgomery, AL – a meal for two runs $56 versus $118 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $2,157 in Montgomery, AL – Montgomery, AL is about 56% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,157 in Montgomery, AL versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Montgomery, AL but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Montgomery, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Montgomery, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.