Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Mateo, CA: $4,607 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
223

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $4,607 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
San Mateo, CA $4,607

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $6,460 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
San Mateo, CA $6,460

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $8,313 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
San Mateo, CA $8,313

New York, NY costs about 7% more than San Mateo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and San Mateo, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, San Mateo, CA by 238%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.32 $20.32

40.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$101 $101

17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.89 $12.89

16.68%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.80 $5.80

12.59%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.04 $3.04

30.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.81 $2.81

7.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.35 $8.35

-2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$10.14 $10.14

-2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.64 $1.64

-16.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.95 $5.95

-16.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$6.23 $6.23

25.36%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$7.45 $7.45

-19.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.58 $13.58

39.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$18.53 $18.53

-2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.67 $19.67

-3.15%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.92 $5.92

14.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.25 $2.25

0.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.06 $4.06

68.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$8.56 $8.56

-17.17%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.38 $4.38

-3.65%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.19 $3.19

45.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.02 $3.02

-4.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.94 $1.94

34.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.76 $11.76

59.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.52 $14.52

38.64%

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

$1.99 $1.99

102.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.20 $2.20

32.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$64.8 $64.8

114.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.24 $4.24

-27.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.05 $2.05

3.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.55 $1.55

-24.52%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.4K $27.4K

25.61%

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

$268 $268

-18.02%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$41.40 $41.40

79.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$60.9 $60.9

15.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$81.3 $81.3

37.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$9.60 $9.60

679.79%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$17.80 $17.80

24.38%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$3,045 $3,045

16.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$28.6K $28.6K

117.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$62.0 $62.0

21.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$45.94 $45.94

11.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$118 $118

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$137 $137

2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$3,414 $3,414

31.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,991 $2,991

2.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$5,766 $5,766

63.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$4,683 $4,683

10.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$9,613 $9,613

88.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$8,493 $8,493

-21.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$7,661 $7,661

-31.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.53

5.05%

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 Mateo, 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 Mateo, CA

$3K 64.9% 2.8% $87

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

San Mateo, CA

$522 11.3% 7.4% $41

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

San Mateo, CA

$356 7.7% 19.1% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

San Mateo, CA

$370 8% 1.7% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.6% 6.9% $12

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

San Mateo, CA

$88 1.9% 46.4% $76

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

San Mateo, CA

$117 2.5% 25.2% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $3,414 in San Mateo, 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 47% higher in San Mateo, 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 $101 in San Mateo, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $522 – making San Mateo, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

04:14 4:14 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

103,536

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY San Mateo, CA 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 7% more than San Mateo, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $6,910 in San Mateo, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Mateo, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $3,414 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $3,045 in San Mateo, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Mateo, CA costs $4,607 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, San Mateo, CA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 7% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.