Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and St. Joseph, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Joseph, MO: $2,613 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,500 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
126

Cost of Living Index in St. Joseph, MO
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St. Joseph, MO Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

St. Joseph, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in St. Joseph, MO

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 St. Joseph, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,613 in St. Joseph, MO, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
St. Joseph, MO $2,613

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,818 in St. Joseph, MO, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
St. Joseph, MO $3,818

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $5,023 in St. Joseph, MO, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
St. Joseph, MO $5,023

New York, NY costs about 88% more than St. Joseph, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and St. Joseph, MO sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, St. Joseph, MO by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$18.86 $18.86

42.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$75.1 $75.1

55.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$10.96 $10.96

33.21%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.04 $5.04

29.76%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.52 $2.52

53.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.96 $1.96

50.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.90 $5.90

36.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.21 $7.21

36.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.00 $1.00

31.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.45 $3.45

44.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.24 $4.24

81.60%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$4.12 $4.12

47.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$12.47 $12.47

56.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$11.28 $11.28

55.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$15.27 $15.27

32.68%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.82 $4.82

45.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.55 $1.55

42.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.17 $4.17

61.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.64 $4.64

53.45%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.82 $2.82

63.48%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.80 $2.80

70.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.05 $2.05

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.19 $2.19

22.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$9.66 $9.66

98.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$13.87 $13.87

41.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.86 $1.86

78.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.28 $3.28

27.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.97 $1.97

53.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$60.7 $60.7

129.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.41 $3.41

-10.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.57 $1.57

40.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$29.75 $29.75

38.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.85 $0.85

32.94%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$29.5K $29.5K

16.86%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-0.59%

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

$232 $232

$186 $186

24.88%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$52.2 $52.2

36.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$66.2 $66.2

2.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$43.78 $43.78

163.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$13.46 $13.46

66.49%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,305 $1,305

176.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$23.7K $23.7K

189.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$50.3 $50.3

57.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$40.49 $40.49

26.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$86.6 $86.6

39.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$111 $111

26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,585 $1,585

187.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,339 $1,339

127.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,648 $2,648

267.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$2,201 $2,201

142.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,736 $2,736

566.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$2,432 $2,432

174.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.51

5.84%

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 St. Joseph, MO: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

St. Joseph, MO

$1.3K 51.2% 56% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

St. Joseph, MO

$383 14.7% 32.5% $184

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

St. Joseph, MO

$306 11.7% 28% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

St. Joseph, MO

$304 11.7% 18% $67

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

St. Joseph, MO

$130 5% 26.4% $47

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

St. Joseph, MO

$80 3.1% 51.7% $86

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

St. Joseph, MO

$71 2.7% 55.9% $90

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,585 in St. Joseph, MO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $75 in St. Joseph, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $383 – making St. Joseph, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 St. Joseph, MO

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

71,542

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY St. Joseph, MO 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
St. Joseph, MO

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 St. Joseph, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 88% more than St. Joseph, MO, 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 $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $3,919 in St. Joseph, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St. Joseph, MO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,585 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $1,305 in St. Joseph, MO. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,613 in St. Joseph, MO. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, St. Joseph, MO is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.