Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Mountain View, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mountain View, CA: $4,650 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. The total is higher in New York, NY despite lower rent and utilities.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
227

Cost of Living Index in Mountain View, CA
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Mountain View, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Mountain View, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $4,650 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Mountain View, CA $4,650

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $6,615 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Mountain View, CA $6,615

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $8,580 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Mountain View, CA $8,580

New York, NY costs about 6% more than Mountain View, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Mountain View, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Mountain View, CA by 242%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.34 $20.34

40.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$101 $101

17.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.96 $11.96

25.75%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.21 $5.21

25.34%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.73 $2.73

45.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.72 $2.72

10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.15 $7.15

14.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.99 $9.99

-1.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.27 $1.27

7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.18 $4.18

18.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.68 $4.68

66.88%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.52 $5.52

8.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$16.21 $16.21

16.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$11.71 $11.71

54.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$12.96 $12.96

46.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.39 $5.39

25.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.88 $1.88

20.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.43 $4.43

54.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.69 $5.69

24.60%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.94 $3.94

7.11%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$5.65 $5.65

-17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.43 $2.43

18.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.62 $2.62

-0.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.63 $11.63

61.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$12.92 $12.92

55.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.15 $2.15

60.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.45 $2.45

64.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.47 $2.47

17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$88.6 $88.6

56.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.91 $3.91

-21.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$4.87 $4.87

-56.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.57 $1.57

-25.48%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

26.57%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.68%

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

$219 $219

$288 $288

-23.93%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$44.81 $44.81

65.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$63.9 $63.9

9.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$78.6 $78.6

42.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$11.81 $11.81

533.87%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$17.10 $17.10

29.47%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,141 $2,141

66.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.6K $23.6K

163.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$52.7 $52.7

43.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$99.5 $99.5

-48.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$151 $151

-18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$149 $149

-5.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$3,529 $3,529

27.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$3,039 $3,039

1.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$4,702 $4,702

100.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$5,009 $5,009

3.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$11.9K $11.9K

51.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$10.1K $10.1K

-33.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$9,788 $9,788

-46.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.14

11.73%

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 Mountain View, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Mountain View, CA

$3K 65.4% 1.3% $39

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Mountain View, CA

$432 9.3% 23.3% $131

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Mountain View, CA

$339 7.3% 23.1% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Mountain View, CA

$397 8.5% 9.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Mountain View, CA

$203 4.4% 16% $28

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Mountain View, CA

$127 2.7% 22.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Mountain View, CA

$113 2.4% 27.8% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $3,529 in Mountain View, 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 88% higher in Mountain View, CA, 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $101 in Mountain View, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $432 – making Mountain View, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Mountain View, CA

🕒 Local time

00:33 12:33 AM

21:33 9:33 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

82,739

💱 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 Mountain View, CA 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY, $4,650 in Mountain View, CA – Mountain View, CA comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $6,974 in Mountain View, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mountain View, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $3,529 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $2,141 in Mountain View, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $4,650 in Mountain View, CA to $4,941 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Mountain View, CA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 6% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.