Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Palm Springs, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Palm Springs, CA: $2,874 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Palm Springs, CA
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Palm Springs, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,874

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $2,874 in Palm Springs, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Palm Springs, CA $2,874

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $4,597 in Palm Springs, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Palm Springs, CA $4,597

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $6,321 in Palm Springs, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Palm Springs, CA $6,321

New York, NY costs about 79% more than Palm Springs, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Palm Springs, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 284%, Palm Springs, CA by 114%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$30.47 $30.47

-13.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$76.1 $76.1

55.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$9.87 $9.87

46.20%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$5.51 $5.51

18.87%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.88 $2.88

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.54 $1.54

94.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$4.85 $4.85

70.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$5.70 $5.70

76.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.33 $1.33

-1.50%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.93 $3.93

24.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$2.90 $2.90

146.90%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$5.78 $5.78

2.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$14.17 $14.17

34.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$13.76 $13.76

26.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$12.56 $12.56

50.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$5.06 $5.06

37.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.16 $2.16

-3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.39 $4.39

38.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.96 $4.96

40.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$4.60 $4.60

-13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$4.38 $4.38

1.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.20 $2.20

27.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.21 $2.21

13.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$11.83 $11.83

62.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$13.70 $13.70

43.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.61 $1.61

91.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.68 $2.68

37.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.72 $1.72

75.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$34.67 $34.67

302.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.41 $3.41

-9.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.91 $1.91

11.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$23.59 $23.59

74.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.37 $1.37

-18.98%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$33.7K $33.7K

3.78%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.9K $25.9K

-1.86%

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

$217 $217

$244 $244

-10.84%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$82.3 $82.3

-10.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$64.9 $64.9

11.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$32.30 $32.30

272.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$49.52 $49.52

35.08%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$12.06 $12.06

85.07%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$536 $536

539.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$8,541 $8,541

616.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$31.77 $31.77

140.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$34.63 $34.63

60.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$73.3 $73.3

62.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$140 $140

-6.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$1,831 $1,831

146.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$1,519 $1,519

107.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$3,700 $3,700

138.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$3,215 $3,215

72.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$5,072 $5,072

282.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$3,350 $3,350

101.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$4,790 $4,790

10.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.68

2.10%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Palm Springs, CA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Palm Springs, CA

$1.5K 51.4% 51.8% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Palm Springs, CA

$416 14.1% 23.9% $131

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Palm Springs, CA

$393 13.3% 7% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Palm Springs, CA

$391 13.2% 7.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Palm Springs, CA

$126 4.3% 26.7% $46

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Palm Springs, CA

$54 1.8% 67% $111

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Palm Springs, CA

$56 1.9% 65.8% $109

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY versus $1,831 in Palm Springs, 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 10% 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 $119 in New York, NY versus $76.0 in Palm Springs, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $416 – making Palm Springs, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Palm Springs, CA

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

01:54 1:54 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

44,575

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Palm Springs, CA 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Palm Springs, 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 Palm Springs, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 79% more than Palm Springs, CA, 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 $7,714 per month in New York, NY and $4,311 in Palm Springs, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palm Springs, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,425 per month in New York, NY and $536 in Palm Springs, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $5,142 in New York, NY and $2,874 in Palm Springs, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Palm Springs, CA costs $2,874 versus $5,142 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Palm Springs, CA. 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.