Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Natick, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Natick, MA: $3,165 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 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
151

Cost of Living Index in Natick, MA
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Natick, MA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Natick, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,165

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Natick, MA

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 Natick, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $3,165 in Natick, MA.

New York, NY $4,941
Natick, MA $3,165

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,076 in Natick, MA.

New York, NY $7,225
Natick, MA $3,076

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $2,986 in Natick, MA.

New York, NY $9,509
Natick, MA $2,986

Living in New York, NY is roughly 56% more expensive than in Natick, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Natick, MA 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.21 $20.21

41.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$75.7 $75.7

56.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.98 $12.98

15.87%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.11 $5.11

27.79%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.78 $2.78

42.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.44 $2.44

23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.90 $5.90

38.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.93 $8.93

10.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.28 $1.28

7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.48 $4.48

10.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$6.73 $6.73

16.05%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.84 $5.84

2.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$22.11 $22.11

-14.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.78 $10.78

67.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.37 $19.37

-1.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$7.26 $7.26

-6.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.13 $1.13

100.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.29 $3.29

107.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.76 $6.76

4.88%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.82 $2.82

49.65%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.38 $4.38

6.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.69 $2.69

6.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.94 $2.94

-11.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.19 $13.19

42.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$16.81 $16.81

19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.82 $1.82

89.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.90 $4.90

-17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$6.11 $6.11

-49.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.02 $1.02

14.71%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

26.73%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.0K $27.0K

-4.29%

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

$219 $219

$86.4 $86.4

153.86%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$29.89 $29.89

148.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$57.7 $57.7

21.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$196 $196

-42.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$12.43 $12.43

78.12%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,178 $2,178

63.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$38.97 $38.97

94.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$16.35 $16.35

213.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$100 $100

22.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,703 $2,703

66.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,872 $1,872

64.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,983 $3,983

31.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.51

5.38%

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 Natick, MA: 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%

Natick, MA

$1.9K 59.1% 39.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Natick, MA

$492 15.6% 12.6% $71

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Natick, MA

$330 10.4% 25% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Natick, MA

$174 5.5% 52.2% $190

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Natick, MA

$70 * 2.2% 60.1% $105

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Natick, MA

$6.1 * 0.2% 96.3% $158

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Natick, MA

$221 7% 41.4% $65

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 $4,499 in New York, NY and $2,703 in Natick, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 31% 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 $76 in Natick, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $492 per month, with Natick, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Natick, MA

🕒 Local time

23:10 11:10 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

32,786

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Natick, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,165 in Natick, MA, so Natick, MA is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% 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 $2,703 in Natick, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $2,178 in Natick, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Natick, MA – a meal for two runs $76 versus $118 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Natick, MA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Natick, MA wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.