Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and River Falls, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in River Falls, WI: $2,515 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,100 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
129

Cost of Living Index in River Falls, WI
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River Falls, WI Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

River Falls, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in River Falls, WI

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 River Falls, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,515 in River Falls, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
River Falls, WI $2,515

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,887 in River Falls, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
River Falls, WI $3,887

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $5,259 in River Falls, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
River Falls, WI $5,259

New York, NY costs about 96% more than River Falls, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and River Falls, WI sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, River Falls, WI by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$22.17 $22.17

12.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$82.0 $82.0

46.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$11.91 $11.91

15.37%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$6.49 $6.49

1.69%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.07 $3.07

24.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.36 $2.36

21.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$6.94 $6.94

14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$8.10 $8.10

24.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.83 $0.83

65.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.67 $3.67

29.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$6.68 $6.68

15.12%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.76 $3.76

56.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$10.23 $10.23

88.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$13.48 $13.48

32.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$18.96 $18.96

0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.89 $5.89

13.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.87 $1.87

22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$6.71 $6.71

-4.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.09 $5.09

32.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.34 $4.34

-9.45%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.09 $4.09

10.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.34 $2.34

19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.64 $2.64

-4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$12.72 $12.72

42.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.82 $15.82

27.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.77 $2.77

17.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$5.57 $5.57

-32.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.10 $2.10

39.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.88 $4.88

-37.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.75 $1.75

23.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$23.56 $23.56

75.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.03 $1.03

8.74%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$30.3K $30.3K

9.27%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.09%

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

$219 $219

$181 $181

21.38%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$54.8 $54.8

37.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$70.3 $70.3

0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$39.56 $39.56

191.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$16.10 $16.10

32.73%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,365 $1,365

151.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$36.8K $36.8K

67.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$56.8 $56.8

31.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$43.63 $43.63

19.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$98.8 $98.8

18.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$104 $104

29.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,534 $1,534

183.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,161 $1,161

168.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,835 $2,835

221.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,226 $2,226

141.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,548 $2,548

656.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,038 $2,038

240.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.66

2.85%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for River Falls, WI: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

River Falls, WI

$1.2K 46.2% 62.7% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

River Falls, WI

$454 18% 17.9% $99

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

River Falls, WI

$364 14.5% 10.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

River Falls, WI

$306 12.2% 16.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

River Falls, WI

$137 5.4% 19.8% $34

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

River Falls, WI

$22 * 0.9% 86.9% $146

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

River Falls, WI

$72 2.9% 54.6% $86

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,534 in River Falls, WI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY versus $82.0 in River Falls, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $454 – making River Falls, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 River Falls, WI

🕒 Local time

01:23 1:23 AM

00:23 12:23 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

16,618

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY River Falls, WI 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
River Falls, WI

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 River Falls, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 96% more than River Falls, WI, 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 $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $3,772 in River Falls, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,515 in River Falls, WI. That's a gap of about 96%.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,365 in River Falls, WI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,515 in River Falls, WI. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. River Falls, WI costs $2,515 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with River Falls, WI. 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.