Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Dimas, CA: $2,463 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in San Dimas, CA
Learn more

San Dimas, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

San Dimas, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,463

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,463 in San Dimas, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
San Dimas, CA $2,463

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,607 in San Dimas, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
San Dimas, CA $3,607

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $4,750 in San Dimas, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
San Dimas, CA $4,750

New York, NY costs about 100% more than San Dimas, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and San Dimas, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, San Dimas, CA by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$11.90 $11.90

110.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$49.37 $49.37

143.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$8.88 $8.88

54.73%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.85 $5.85

12.82%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.52 $3.52

8.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.46 $2.46

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$7.59 $7.59

4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$8.21 $8.21

22.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.09 $1.09

25.69%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.07 $4.07

16.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.80 $4.80

60.21%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.61 $4.61

27.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$12.96 $12.96

48.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$20.43 $20.43

-12.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$15.16 $15.16

25.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.91 $4.91

36.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.68 $1.68

36.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$5.53 $5.53

15.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.85 $5.85

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.76 $3.76

4.52%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.22 $2.22

103.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.99 $1.99

40.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.84 $1.84

36.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$11.65 $11.65

55.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.16 $15.16

32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.99 $1.99

63.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.24 $4.24

-11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.70 $1.70

71.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$6.15 $6.15

-50.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.77 $1.77

22.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$26.08 $26.08

58.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.56 $1.56

-28.21%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$28.9K $28.9K

14.57%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.73%

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

$219 $219

$167 $167

31.64%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$67.9 $67.9

10.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$59.7 $59.7

18.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$41.86 $41.86

175.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$14.89 $14.89

43.52%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,935 $1,935

77.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

136.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$57.6 $57.6

30.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.34 $39.34

32.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$93.9 $93.9

24.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$146 $146

-7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,616 $1,616

168.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,197 $1,197

160.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,554 $2,554

256.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,036 $2,036

164.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,691 $2,691

616.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,449 $2,449

183.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$4,063 $4,063

28.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.39

7.20%

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 San Dimas, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

San Dimas, CA

$1.2K 48.6% 61.6% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

San Dimas, CA

$456 18.5% 17.4% $96

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

San Dimas, CA

$270 11% 33.6% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

San Dimas, CA

$294 11.9% 19.4% $71

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

San Dimas, CA

$152 6.2% 10.9% $19

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

San Dimas, CA

$22 * 0.9% 87% $146

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

San Dimas, CA

$72 2.9% 54.7% $87

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 $1,616 in San Dimas, 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 29% 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 $120 in New York, NY versus $49.00 in San Dimas, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $456 – making San Dimas, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 San Dimas, CA

🕒 Local time

15:57 3:57 PM

12:57 12:57 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

35,714

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY San Dimas, CA 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 100% more than San Dimas, CA, 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 $3,695 in San Dimas, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Dimas, CA, 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 $2,463 in San Dimas, CA. That's a gap of about 100%.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,935 in San Dimas, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,463 in San Dimas, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Dimas, CA costs $2,463 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 San Dimas, CA. 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.