Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Santa Ana, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Ana: $2,006 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $34,800 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana
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Santa Ana Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Santa Ana

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Santa Ana

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 Santa Ana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,006 in Santa Ana, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Santa Ana $2,006

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,232 in Santa Ana, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Santa Ana $3,232

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $4,458 in Santa Ana, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Santa Ana $4,458

New York, NY costs about 145% more than Santa Ana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and Santa Ana sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Santa Ana by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$12.42 ₡5,584

116.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$61.9 ₡27.9K

88.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$11.43 ₡5,139

27.73%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$4.56 ₡2,052

43.42%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.25 ₡1,010

71.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.39 ₡626

112.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$3.28 ₡1,474

146.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$4.36 ₡1,960

125.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.30 ₡1,033

-43.04%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.04 ₡1,367

63.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$2.41 ₡1,085

219.50%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$3.43 ₡1,542

77.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$10.50 ₡4,719

86.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$10.24 ₡4,604

71.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$13.90 ₡6,248

45.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.20 ₡2,339

34.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.63 ₡733

35.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.79 ₡2,152

40.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.81 ₡1,714

86.88%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.82 ₡1,717

20.68%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.69 ₡1,659

29.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.07 ₡482

168.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.87 ₡842

43.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$5.91 ₡2,658

223.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$17.48 ₡7,860

12.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.90 ₡1,303

14.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.65 ₡1,190

58.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.22 ₡998

36.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.84 ₡826

19.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$8.18 ₡3,676

405.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.51 ₡680

-25.17%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.6K ₡12.9M

20.53%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$37.6K ₡16.9M

-31.22%

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

$232 $232

$91.7 ₡41.2K

153.27%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$32.76 ₡14.7K

116.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$49.36 ₡22.2K

37.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$161 ₡72.5K

-28.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$22.07 ₡9,922

248.03%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$7.67 ₡3,450

192.18%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$982 ₡441.4K

267.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$19.2K ₡8.6M

257.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$66.7 ₡30.0K

18.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$55.7 ₡25.0K

-7.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$127 ₡57.3K

-5.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$132 ₡59.2K

6.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,075 ₡483.4K

323.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$869 ₡390.8K

249.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,939 ₡1.3M

231.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,847 ₡830.6K

188.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,735 ₡1.2M

566.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$1,706 ₡767.3K

291.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$1,427 ₡641.4K

257.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

8.62

-20.07%

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 Santa Ana: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Santa Ana

$869 43.3% 71.4% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Santa Ana

$375 18.7% 33.8% $192

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Santa Ana

$228 11.4% 46.3% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Santa Ana

$174 8.7% 53.1% $197

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Santa Ana

$172 8.6% 2.8% $4.9

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Santa Ana

$11 * 0.6% 93.1% $154

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Santa Ana

$177 8.8% 10.2% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,075 in Santa Ana. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in New York, NY are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $62 in Santa Ana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $375 – making Santa Ana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇨🇷 Santa Ana

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

18:21 6:21 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

13,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Santa Ana 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Santa Ana

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 Santa Ana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 145% more than Santa Ana, 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 $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $3,009 in Santa Ana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Ana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,075 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,006 in Santa Ana. That makes Santa Ana about 59% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $982 in Santa Ana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,006 in Santa Ana. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Ana costs $2,006 versus $4,906 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Ana. 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.