Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Redwood City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Redwood City, CA: $4,232 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
201

Cost of Living Index in Redwood City, CA
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Redwood City, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $4,232 in Redwood City, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Redwood City, CA $4,232

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $6,270 in Redwood City, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Redwood City, CA $6,270

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $8,308 in Redwood City, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Redwood City, CA $8,308

New York, NY costs about 17% more than Redwood City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Redwood City, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Redwood City, CA by 211%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.33 $25.33

12.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$109 $109

8.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$13.23 $13.23

13.68%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.75 $5.75

13.57%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.22 $3.22

22.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.72 $2.72

10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.77 $7.77

5.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.87 $8.87

10.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.52 $1.52

-9.87%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.26 $5.26

-5.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.96 $4.96

57.46%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$7.75 $7.75

-22.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$15.29 $15.29

23.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.87 $10.87

65.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.70 $19.70

-3.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.11 $6.11

10.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.66 $2.66

-14.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.52 $4.52

51.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.27 $6.27

13.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.94 $2.94

43.54%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.69 $3.69

26.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.80 $2.80

2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.71 $2.71

-4.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.80 $11.80

59.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$19.74 $19.74

1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.70 $2.70

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.52 $3.52

14.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$4.82 $4.82

-39.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.04 $4.04

-23.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.25 $1.25

69.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$38.49 $38.49

9.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.49 $1.49

-21.48%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.6K $27.6K

24.93%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.9K $26.9K

-3.89%

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

$219 $219

$245 $245

-10.29%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$53.5 $53.5

38.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$68.8 $68.8

2.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$238 $238

-52.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$30.57 $30.57

144.88%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$18.07 $18.07

22.52%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,902 $2,902

22.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$41.8K $41.8K

48.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$45.60 $45.60

65.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$24.58 $24.58

108.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$98.5 $98.5

25.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$113 $113

23.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$4,166 $4,166

8.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,549 $2,549

20.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$5,663 $5,663

66.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$4,488 $4,488

15.65%

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

$7,721 $7,721

-32.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.82

0.59%

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 Redwood City, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Redwood City, CA

$2.5K 60.2% 17.2% $530

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Redwood City, CA

$494 11.7% 12.3% $69

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Redwood City, CA

$392 9.3% 11% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Redwood City, CA

$367 8.7% 0.8% $3

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Redwood City, CA

$127 3% 27.7% $49

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Redwood City, CA

$30 * 0.7% 82% $135

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Redwood City, CA

$274 6.5% 75.6% $118

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $4,166 in Redwood City, 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 48% higher in Redwood City, CA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $109 in Redwood City, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $494 – making Redwood City, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Redwood City, CA

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

02:47 2:47 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

88,314

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Redwood City, CA 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Redwood City, 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 Redwood City, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 17% more than Redwood City, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $6,348 in Redwood City, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $4,499 in New York, NY and $4,166 in Redwood City, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $4,232 in Redwood City, CA. That makes Redwood City, CA about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $2,902 in Redwood City, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Redwood City, CA costs $4,232 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.