Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and San Antonio, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Antonio, TX: $2,349 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in San Antonio, TX
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San Antonio, TX Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

San Antonio, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in San Antonio, TX

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 San Antonio, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,349 in San Antonio, TX, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
San Antonio, TX $2,349

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,581 in San Antonio, TX, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
San Antonio, TX $3,581

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $4,813 in San Antonio, TX, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
San Antonio, TX $4,813

New York, NY costs about 109% more than San Antonio, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and San Antonio, TX sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, San Antonio, TX by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$18.02 $18.02

49.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$75.2 $75.2

55.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$10.95 $10.95

33.33%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.46 $5.46

19.78%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.68 $2.68

44.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.74 $1.74

69.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.16 $5.16

56.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$5.82 $5.82

69.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.20 $1.20

9.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.30 $3.30

50.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.42 $4.42

74.21%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$3.78 $3.78

61.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$11.96 $11.96

63.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$11.67 $11.67

50.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$18.15 $18.15

11.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.86 $4.86

43.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.63 $1.63

35.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.28 $4.28

57.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.61 $3.61

97.23%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.67 $2.67

72.66%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.99 $2.99

59.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.97 $1.97

45.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.26 $2.26

19.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$10.13 $10.13

88.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.13 $15.13

29.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.76 $2.76

20.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.53 $3.53

18.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.27 $1.27

137.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$37.88 $37.88

267.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.46 $3.46

-12.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.76 $1.76

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$26.81 $26.81

54.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.01 $1.01

11.88%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$35.7K $35.7K

-3.57%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.15%

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

$232 $232

$217 $217

6.93%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$74.0 $74.0

-4.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$76.8 $76.8

-11.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$36.27 $36.27

218.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$20.94 $20.94

266.81%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$14.72 $14.72

52.24%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,293 $1,293

178.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$24.6K $24.6K

179.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$53.9 $53.9

46.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$50.3 $50.3

2.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$140 $140

-13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$148 $148

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,429 $1,429

218.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$990 $990

207.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,941 $2,941

231.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,834 $1,834

190.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$4,430 $4,430

311.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$1,717 $1,717

289.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$3,813 $3,813

33.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.48

6.33%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Antonio, TX: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

San Antonio, TX

$990 42.2% 67.4% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

San Antonio, TX

$396 16.9% 30.2% $171

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

San Antonio, TX

$298 12.7% 30% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

San Antonio, TX

$368 15.7% 0.8% $3

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

San Antonio, TX

$177 7.5% 0% $0

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

San Antonio, TX

$55 2.4% 66.6% $110

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

San Antonio, TX

$66 2.8% 59% $94

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,429 in San Antonio, TX. 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 34% 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 $117 in New York, NY versus $75 in San Antonio, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $396 – making San Antonio, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 San Antonio, TX

🕒 Local time

19:57 7:57 PM

18:57 6:57 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

1,434,625

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY San Antonio, TX 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
San Antonio, TX

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 San Antonio, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 109% more than San Antonio, TX, 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 $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $3,524 in San Antonio, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Antonio, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,429 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $1,293 in San Antonio, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in San Antonio, TX, where all-in costs run around $2,349, than in New York, NY at $4,906. In San Antonio, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Antonio, TX – 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 San Antonio, TX. 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.