Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Santa Monica, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Monica, CA: $3,815 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
183

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
Learn more

Santa Monica, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Santa Monica, CA $3,815

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $5,847 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Santa Monica, CA $5,847

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $7,879 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Santa Monica, CA $7,879

New York, NY costs about 30% more than Santa Monica, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Santa Monica, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Santa Monica, CA by 180%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$26.80 $26.80

6.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$121 $121

-1.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$15.08 $15.08

-0.27%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.77 $5.77

13.17%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.32 $3.32

19.28%

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

$7.94 $7.94

2.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.95 $9.95

-1.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.35 $1.35

1.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.63 $4.63

7.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.52 $4.52

72.79%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.46 $5.46

9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$15.99 $15.99

18.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$14.11 $14.11

27.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.54 $19.54

-2.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.86 $4.86

39.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.24 $2.24

1.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.14 $4.14

64.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.76 $5.76

23.09%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.38 $3.38

24.85%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.91 $2.91

59.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.16 $2.16

32.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.57 $2.57

1.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.59 $11.59

61.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.87 $14.87

35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.53 $2.53

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.02 $3.02

33.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.70 $1.70

71.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$54.8 $54.8

153.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.03 $3.03

1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.83 $1.83

15.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$32.50 $32.50

29.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.48 $1.48

-20.95%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$32.6K $32.6K

5.77%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.66%

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

$219 $219

$216 $216

1.43%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$46.35 $46.35

60.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$64.5 $64.5

8.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$67.3 $67.3

66.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$44.25 $44.25

69.18%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$18.86 $18.86

17.39%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,741 $1,741

104.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$32.4K $32.4K

91.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$87.7 $87.7

-13.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$54.1 $54.1

-5.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$106 $106

16.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$118 $118

18.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$3,795 $3,795

18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,269 $2,269

35.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$8,658 $8,658

9.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$4,229 $4,229

22.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$13.1K $13.1K

38.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$9,732 $9,732

-31.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$7,010 $7,010

-25.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.62

3.63%

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 Santa Monica, 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%

Santa Monica, CA

$2.3K 59.5% 26.3% $810

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Santa Monica, CA

$464 12.2% 17.6% $99

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Santa Monica, CA

$411 10.8% 6.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Santa Monica, CA

$327 8.6% 10.1% $37

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Santa Monica, CA

$165 4.3% 6.1% $11

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Santa Monica, CA

$74 1.9% 55.1% $90

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Santa Monica, CA

$105 2.8% 32.8% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $3,795 in Santa Monica, 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 34% higher in Santa Monica, 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 $121 in Santa Monica, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $563 in New York, NY vs $464 in Santa Monica, CA – so Santa Monica, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🕒 Local time

18:30 6:30 PM

15:30 3:30 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

89,736

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Santa Monica, CA 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Santa Monica, 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 Santa Monica, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 30% more than Santa Monica, 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 $5,722 in Santa Monica, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Monica, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $3,795 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA. That makes Santa Monica, CA about 23% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,741 in Santa Monica, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Monica, CA costs $3,815 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.