Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Portland, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Portland, ME: $3,262 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
158

Cost of Living Index in Portland, ME
Learn more

Portland, ME Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,262

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Portland, ME

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 Portland, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,262 in Portland, ME, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Portland, ME $3,262

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,710 in Portland, ME, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Portland, ME $4,710

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $6,158 in Portland, ME, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Portland, ME $6,158

New York, NY costs about 51% more than Portland, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Portland, ME sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Portland, ME by 140%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$24.87 $24.87

14.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$120 $120

-1.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.86 $14.86

1.21%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.12 $6.12

6.70%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.01 $3.01

31.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.47 $2.47

21.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.05 $8.05

1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.04 $8.04

22.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.10 $1.10

24.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.64 $4.64

7.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$8.56 $8.56

-8.76%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.92 $3.92

52.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$18.77 $18.77

0.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.33 $10.33

74.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.45 $16.45

15.81%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.63 $4.63

46.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.70 $1.70

33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.85 $5.85

16.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.84 $6.84

3.65%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$6.36 $6.36

-33.65%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.80 $3.80

22.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.19 $3.19

-10.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.54 $2.54

2.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.12 $12.12

54.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.06 $15.06

33.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.88 $1.88

83.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.54 $2.54

58.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.98 $1.98

46.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$60.5 $60.5

129.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.02 $2.02

52.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.58 $1.58

34.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$10.80 $10.80

288.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.6K $27.6K

25.14%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.00%

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

$219 $219

$224 $224

-1.94%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$69.5 $69.5

6.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$76.4 $76.4

-8.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$51.8 $51.8

116.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$39.22 $39.22

90.87%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$13.96 $13.96

58.60%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,263 $1,263

181.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$52.7 $52.7

43.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$81.2 $81.2

-36.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$102 $102

20.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$133 $133

5.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,102 $2,102

114.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,703 $1,703

80.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,156 $3,156

199.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,524 $2,524

105.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$5,509 $5,509

228.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$3,978 $3,978

68.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,598 $4,598

13.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.5

5.54%

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 Portland, ME: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Portland, ME

$1.7K 52.2% 44.7% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Portland, ME

$470 14.4% 16.5% $93

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Portland, ME

$395 12.1% 10.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Portland, ME

$370 11.3% 1.6% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Portland, ME

$166 5.1% 5.4% $9.5

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Portland, ME

$78 2.4% 52.3% $86

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Portland, ME

$80 2.4% 49% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,102 in Portland, ME. 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 14% 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 $120 in Portland, ME. Groceries tell a different story – $563 in New York, NY vs $470 in Portland, ME – so Portland, ME wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Portland, ME

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

652,503

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Portland, ME 470 km

From you

New York, NY
Portland, ME

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 Portland, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 51% more than Portland, ME, 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 $4,893 in Portland, ME. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portland, ME, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,102 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,262 in Portland, ME. That makes Portland, ME about 34% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,263 in Portland, ME. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,262 in Portland, ME. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Portland, ME costs $3,262 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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