Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Leandro, CA: $3,483 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 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
166

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

San Leandro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,483 in San Leandro, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
San Leandro, CA $3,483

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $5,059 in San Leandro, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
San Leandro, CA $5,059

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $6,634 in San Leandro, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
San Leandro, CA $6,634

New York, NY costs about 42% more than San Leandro, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and San Leandro, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, San Leandro, CA by 156%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.50 $25.50

11.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$111 $111

6.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.84 $14.84

1.35%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.10 $6.10

7.05%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.21 $3.21

23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.78 $2.78

8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.90 $7.90

3.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.84 $8.84

11.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.76 $1.76

-22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.24 $5.24

-5.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.86 $4.86

60.70%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.84 $5.84

2.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$15.22 $15.22

24.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$13.05 $13.05

38.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$22.80 $22.80

-16.45%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.07 $6.07

11.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.53 $1.53

48.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.42 $4.42

54.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.46 $6.46

9.75%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.00 $3.00

40.67%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.72 $2.72

70.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.03 $2.03

41.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.99 $1.99

30.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.95 $11.95

57.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.36 $14.36

40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.74 $1.74

98.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.70 $3.70

8.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$5.70 $5.70

-48.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$97.6 $97.6

42.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.23 $4.23

-27.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.00 $2.00

6.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$38.81 $38.81

8.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.56 $1.56

-25.00%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

26.68%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.31%

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

$219 $219

$240 $240

-8.72%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$50.9 $50.9

45.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$77.0 $77.0

-8.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$49.58 $49.58

125.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$16.03 $16.03

38.12%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,923 $2,923

21.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$43.1K $43.1K

44.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$66.4 $66.4

13.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.43 $39.43

29.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$88.3 $88.3

39.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$121 $121

15.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,357 $2,357

90.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,882 $1,882

63.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,652 $3,652

158.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,985 $2,985

73.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$5,091 $5,091

255.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$4,028 $4,028

66.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$5,390 $5,390

-3.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.76

1.48%

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 Leandro, CA: 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%

San Leandro, CA

$1.9K 54% 38.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

San Leandro, CA

$473 13.6% 16% $90

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

San Leandro, CA

$403 11.6% 8.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

San Leandro, CA

$368 10.6% 1.2% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

San Leandro, CA

$142 4.1% 19.2% $34

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

San Leandro, CA

$135 3.9% 18% $30

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

San Leandro, CA

$82 2.3% 47.7% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,357 in San Leandro, 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 3% higher in San Leandro, CA, 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 $111 in San Leandro, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $473 – making San Leandro, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 San Leandro, CA

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

18:25 6:25 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

88,815

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY San Leandro, CA 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 42% more than San Leandro, 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 $5,225 in San Leandro, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Leandro, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,357 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $2,923 in San Leandro, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,483 in San Leandro, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, San Leandro, CA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.