Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and San Bernardino, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Bernardino, CA: $2,788 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $25,800 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
135

Cost of Living Index in San Bernardino, CA
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San Bernardino, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

San Bernardino, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,788

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,788 in San Bernardino, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
San Bernardino, CA $2,788

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,091 in San Bernardino, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
San Bernardino, CA $4,091

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,395 in San Bernardino, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
San Bernardino, CA $5,395

New York, NY costs about 77% more than San Bernardino, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and San Bernardino, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, San Bernardino, CA by 105%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.29 $20.29

40.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$76.5 $76.5

54.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$16.27 $16.27

-7.56%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.84 $5.84

11.82%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.48 $3.48

13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.35 $2.35

28.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.19 $7.19

13.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.66 $9.66

1.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.09 $1.09

25.69%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.02 $4.02

23.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.73 $4.73

65.12%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.78 $4.78

24.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.14 $13.14

43.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$8.75 $8.75

106.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$15.66 $15.66

21.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.79 $4.79

41.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.81 $1.81

25.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.00 $4.00

70.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.49 $5.49

29.14%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.65 $3.65

15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.24 $2.24

107.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.98 $1.98

44.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.94 $1.94

34.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.75 $11.75

59.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.73 $14.73

36.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.16 $2.16

59.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.20 $4.20

-4.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.01 $2.01

44.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$61.0 $61.0

127.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$9.85 $9.85

-68.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.53 $1.53

-23.53%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$29.0K $29.0K

18.91%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.81%

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

$219 $219

$217 $217

1.00%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$67.2 $67.2

10.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$71.7 $71.7

-2.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$31.81 $31.81

251.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$15.06 $15.06

47.01%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,153 $1,153

208.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$17.8K $17.8K

249.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$63.6 $63.6

18.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$48.79 $48.79

4.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$107 $107

15.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$144 $144

-2.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,277 $1,277

252.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,375 $1,375

123.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,048 $2,048

361.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,325 $2,325

123.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$4,069 $4,069

345.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$3,358 $3,358

99.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,452 $3,452

51.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.39

7.36%

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 San Bernardino, 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%

San Bernardino, CA

$1.4K 49.3% 55.3% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

San Bernardino, CA

$393 14.1% 30.2% $170

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

San Bernardino, CA

$360 12.9% 18.3% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

San Bernardino, CA

$356 12.8% 2.1% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

San Bernardino, CA

$163 5.9% 7% $12

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

San Bernardino, CA

$79 * 2.8% 52% $85

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

San Bernardino, CA

$62 2.2% 60.4% $94

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 $1,277 in San Bernardino, 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 51% 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 $77 in San Bernardino, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $393 – making San Bernardino, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 San Bernardino, CA

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

12:20 12:20 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

220,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY San Bernardino, CA 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
San Bernardino, 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 San Bernardino, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 77% more than San Bernardino, CA, 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 $4,182 in San Bernardino, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Bernardino, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,277 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,153 in San Bernardino, CA. 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.

Families tend to lean toward San Bernardino, CA – 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 Bernardino, CA. 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.