Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Owensboro, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Owensboro, KY: $1,977 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $35,600 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
95

Cost of Living Index in Owensboro, KY
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Owensboro, KY Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Owensboro, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,977

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Owensboro, KY

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 Owensboro, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $1,977 in Owensboro, KY, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Owensboro, KY $1,977

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $2,919 in Owensboro, KY, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Owensboro, KY $2,919

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $3,861 in Owensboro, KY, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Owensboro, KY $3,861

New York, NY costs about 150% more than Owensboro, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Owensboro, KY sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Owensboro, KY by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$19.39 $19.39

47.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$59.8 $59.8

97.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$9.82 $9.82

53.16%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.53 $5.53

18.08%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$1.88 $1.88

110.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.35 $1.35

122.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$3.99 $3.99

104.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.96 $4.96

98.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.79 $0.79

73.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.24 $3.24

53.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.28 $4.28

82.48%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.02 $3.02

97.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$6.67 $6.67

183.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$11.01 $11.01

63.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$12.10 $12.10

57.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.34 $4.34

55.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.24 $1.24

83.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$2.69 $2.69

153.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.56 $3.56

99.16%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.27 $2.27

85.90%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.17 $2.17

114.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.06 $2.06

39.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.51 $1.51

72.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.73 $8.73

115.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$7.85 $7.85

156.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.86 $1.86

85.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.94 $4.94

-18.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.02 $1.02

185.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$30.58 $30.58

354.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.54 $5.54

-44.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.04 $1.04

103.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$18.13 $18.13

131.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.86 $0.86

36.05%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.9K $27.9K

23.63%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.2K $27.2K

-4.93%

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

$219 $219

$172 $172

27.64%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$60.9 $60.9

21.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$59.7 $59.7

17.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$49.91 $49.91

124.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$10.17 $10.17

636.09%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$13.19 $13.19

67.85%

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

$3,558 $3,558

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$74.5 $74.5

1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.29 $43.29

18.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$68.0 $68.0

81.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$89.3 $89.3

56.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$844 $844

433.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$834 $834

268.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,441 $1,441

555.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,364 $1,364

280.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,744 $1,744

937.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,738 $1,738

285.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,362 $3,362

55.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.55

4.73%

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 Owensboro, KY: 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%

Owensboro, KY

$834 42.2% 72.9% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Owensboro, KY

$311 15.7% 44.8% $252

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Owensboro, KY

$294 14.9% 33.3% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Owensboro, KY

$293 14.8% 19.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Owensboro, KY

$124 6.3% 29.4% $52

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Owensboro, KY

$45 2.3% 72.4% $119

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Owensboro, KY

$76 3.9% 51.2% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $844 in Owensboro, KY. 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 55% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $60 in Owensboro, KY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $311 – making Owensboro, KY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Owensboro, KY

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

12:00 12:00 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

55,525

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Owensboro, KY 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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New York, NY
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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 Owensboro, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 150% more than Owensboro, KY, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $2,965 in Owensboro, KY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Owensboro, KY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $844 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $1,977 in Owensboro, KY. That’s a gap of about 150%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY and $60 in Owensboro, KY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,977 in Owensboro, KY to $4,941 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Owensboro, KY. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.