Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and New Castle, DE

For one person, living is cheaper in New Castle, DE: $2,646 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in New Castle, DE
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New Castle, DE Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

New Castle, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in New Castle, DE

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 New Castle, DE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $2,646 in New Castle, DE.

New York, NY $4,906
New Castle, DE $2,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,835 in New Castle, DE.

New York, NY $7,273
New Castle, DE $3,835

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $5,024 in New Castle, DE.

New York, NY $9,641
New Castle, DE $5,024

Living in New York, NY is roughly 85% more expensive than in New Castle, DE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, New Castle, DE 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$17.87 $17.87

50.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$90.4 $90.4

29.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$10.73 $10.73

36.07%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.31 $5.31

23.16%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$3.04 $3.04

26.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.94 $1.94

52.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$6.88 $6.88

17.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.86 $7.86

25.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.15 $1.15

13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.97 $3.97

25.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.14 $4.14

85.99%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$4.82 $4.82

26.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$12.89 $12.89

51.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$12.84 $12.84

36.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$18.70 $18.70

8.34%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.95 $5.95

17.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.52 $1.52

45.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$5.85 $5.85

14.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$5.01 $5.01

42.12%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.69 $2.69

71.38%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.96 $2.96

61.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.35 $2.35

22.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.34 $2.34

14.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$13.72 $13.72

39.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.69 $15.69

25.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.56 $2.56

29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.79 $3.79

10.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.96 $1.96

54.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$60.4 $60.4

130.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.85 $1.85

64.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.33 $1.33

65.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$24.21 $24.21

70.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.05 $1.05

7.62%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.3K $34.3K

0.44%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.02%

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

$232 $232

$213 $213

9.00%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$66.9 $66.9

6.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$68.8 $68.8

-1.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$40.32 $40.32

186.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$14.25 $14.25

57.26%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,944 $1,944

85.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$20.7K $20.7K

232.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$52.4 $52.4

51.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$62.3 $62.3

-17.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$92.8 $92.8

30.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$110 $110

27.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,374 $1,374

231.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,263 $1,263

140.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,058 $2,058

373.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,922 $1,922

177.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$3,119 $3,119

484.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$2,099 $2,099

218.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.9

-0.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for New Castle, DE: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

New Castle, DE

$1.3K 47.7% 58.5% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

New Castle, DE

$436 16.5% 23.1% $131

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

New Castle, DE

$309 11.7% 27.3% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

New Castle, DE

$349 13.2% 6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

New Castle, DE

$143 5.4% 19% $34

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

New Castle, DE

$77 2.9% 53.6% $89

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

New Castle, DE

$69 2.6% 57% $91

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,555 in New York, NY and $1,374 in New Castle, DE. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $117 in New York, NY vs $90 in New Castle, DE for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $436 per month, with New Castle, DE cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 New Castle, DE

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

21,926

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 New Castle, DE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Castle, DE wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making New Castle, DE the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $7,358 in New York, NY and $3,969 in New Castle, DE to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,374 in New Castle, DE. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,606 in New York, NY versus $1,944 in New Castle, DE. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. New Castle, DE 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.

Expats usually find New Castle, DE gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.