Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Rockville, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockville, MD: $3,247 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 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
157

Cost of Living Index in Rockville, MD
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Rockville, MD Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Rockville, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,247

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Rockville, MD

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 Rockville, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,247 in Rockville, MD, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Rockville, MD $3,247

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,701 in Rockville, MD, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Rockville, MD $4,701

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $6,154 in Rockville, MD, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Rockville, MD $6,154

New York, NY costs about 52% more than Rockville, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Rockville, MD sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Rockville, MD by 139%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$22.62 $22.62

26.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$74.7 $74.7

58.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.19 $10.19

47.60%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.31 $5.31

22.98%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.42 $2.42

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.77 $1.77

70.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.63 $6.63

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.47 $7.47

31.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.13 $1.13

21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.98 $2.98

66.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.66 $2.66

193.61%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.81 $3.81

56.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.75 $9.75

93.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.32 $9.32

93.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$18.29 $18.29

4.16%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.74 $4.74

42.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.27 $1.27

78.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.38 $4.38

55.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.87 $3.87

83.20%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.60 $2.60

62.31%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.46 $2.46

89.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.59 $2.59

10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.80 $1.80

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.00 $14.00

34.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.48 $14.48

39.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.41 $2.41

43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.76 $3.76

6.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.16 $3.16

-7.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$110 $110

26.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.05 $5.05

-39.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.11 $1.11

90.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$23.29 $23.29

80.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.07 $1.07

9.35%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.3K $34.3K

0.60%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.75%

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

$219 $219

$297 $297

-26.23%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$50.7 $50.7

46.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$60.6 $60.6

15.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$42.82 $42.82

161.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$12.46 $12.46

500.80%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$16.64 $16.64

33.05%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,934 $1,934

83.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$27.7K $27.7K

124.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$46.01 $46.01

64.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.71 $39.71

28.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$88.5 $88.5

39.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$133 $133

5.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,213 $2,213

103.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,791 $1,791

71.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,763 $3,763

151.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,061 $3,061

69.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$4,172 $4,172

333.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,976 $2,976

124.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$6,378 $6,378

-18.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.46

6.19%

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 Rockville, MD: 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%

Rockville, MD

$1.8K 55.2% 41.8% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Rockville, MD

$359 11.1% 36.2% $204

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Rockville, MD

$340 10.5% 22.8% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Rockville, MD

$409 12.6% 12.3% $45

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Rockville, MD

$138 4.3% 21.3% $37

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Rockville, MD

$133 4.1% 18.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Rockville, MD

$76 2.3% 51.3% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,213 in Rockville, MD. 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 22% higher in Rockville, MD, 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 $75 in Rockville, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $359 – making Rockville, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Rockville, MD

🕒 Local time

14:07 2:07 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

67,139

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Rockville, MD 310 km

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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 Rockville, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 52% more than Rockville, MD, 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 $4,870 in Rockville, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rockville, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,213 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,934 in Rockville, MD. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% 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 $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,247 in Rockville, MD. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Rockville, MD – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Rockville, MD is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 52% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.