Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Saint Joseph, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Joseph, MI: $1,920 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $36,300 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MI
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Saint Joseph, MI Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Saint Joseph, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,920

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Saint Joseph, MI

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 Saint Joseph, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $1,920 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Saint Joseph, MI $1,920

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,070 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Saint Joseph, MI $3,070

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,219 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Saint Joseph, MI $4,219

New York, NY costs about 157% more than Saint Joseph, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Saint Joseph, MI sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Saint Joseph, MI by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$13.89 $13.89

105.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$73.9 $73.9

60.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$8.74 $8.74

72.08%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$4.01 $4.01

62.84%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.00 $3.00

32.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.04 $2.04

47.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$3.91 $3.91

108.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.97 $4.97

97.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.81 $0.81

69.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.86 $2.86

73.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.96 $2.96

163.85%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.53 $3.53

69.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$7.85 $7.85

140.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.53 $10.53

71.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$8.36 $8.36

127.87%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.71 $5.71

18.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.65 $1.65

37.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.53 $3.53

93.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.39 $5.39

31.54%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.75 $1.75

141.14%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.22 $3.22

44.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.63 $1.63

76.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.46 $2.46

5.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.15 $12.15

54.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$8.21 $8.21

145.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.70 $1.70

102.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.30 $3.30

21.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.02 $2.02

44.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$53.9 $53.9

157.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.05 $3.05

0.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.79 $1.79

18.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$29.76 $29.76

40.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.80 $0.80

46.25%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$24.4K $24.4K

41.07%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.21%

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

$219 $219

$172 $172

27.85%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$51.1 $51.1

45.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$51.9 $51.9

35.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$41.52 $41.52

169.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$10.59 $10.59

109.07%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,521 $1,521

133.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.4K $23.4K

165.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$40.22 $40.22

87.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$49.07 $49.07

4.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$76.1 $76.1

61.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$75.6 $75.6

84.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,075 $1,075

318.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$842 $842

265.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,887 $1,887

400.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,791 $1,791

189.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,773 $2,773

553.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,380 $2,380

181.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,999 $4,999

4.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.43

6.69%

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 Saint Joseph, MI: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Saint Joseph, MI

$842 43.9% 72.6% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Saint Joseph, MI

$323 16.8% 42.7% $240

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Saint Joseph, MI

$235 12.3% 46.6% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Saint Joseph, MI

$275 14.3% 24.6% $89

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Saint Joseph, MI

$108 5.7% 38.2% $67

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Saint Joseph, MI

$74 3.9% 55% $90

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Saint Joseph, MI

$63 3.3% 59.9% $94

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,075 in Saint Joseph, MI. 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 4% 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 $74 in Saint Joseph, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $323 – making Saint Joseph, MI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MI

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

76,780

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Saint Joseph, MI 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Saint Joseph, MI

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 Saint Joseph, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 157% more than Saint Joseph, MI, 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 $2,880 in Saint Joseph, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Joseph, MI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,075 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,521 in Saint Joseph, MI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 74% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

If budget matters most, go with Saint Joseph, MI. 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.