Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Starkville, MS

For one person, living is cheaper in Starkville, MS: $1,787 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $37,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY, United States
Starkville, MS, United States
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,941
/mo nomad
Starkville, MS
🇺🇸 United States
$1,787
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Starkville, MS

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 Starkville, MS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $1,787 in Starkville, MS, rent included.

  • New York, NY $4,941
  • Starkville, MS $1,787

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $2,731 in Starkville, MS, rent included.

  • New York, NY $7,225
  • Starkville, MS $2,731

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $3,676 in Starkville, MS, rent included.

  • New York, NY $9,509
  • Starkville, MS $3,676

New York, NY costs about 176% more than Starkville, MS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Starkville, MS sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Starkville, MS by 31%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Starkville, MS
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$28.55 $28.55
$14.92 $14.92
91.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 $118
$60.2 $60.2
96.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.04 $15.04
$8.35 $8.35
80.12%
Cappuccino
$6.53 $6.53
$4.19 $4.19
55.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 $3.96
$2.37 $2.37
67.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$1.84 $1.84
63.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.16 $8.16
$4.09 $4.09
99.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.84 $9.84
$6.98 $6.98
40.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Starkville, MS
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 $1.37
$0.87 $0.87
57.47%
White Bread (500g)
$4.97 $4.97
$3.19 $3.19
55.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.81 $7.81
$2.62 $2.62
198.09%
Eggs
$5.97 $5.97
$4.22 $4.22
41.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.91 $18.91
$9.77 $9.77
93.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.04 $18.04
$11.62 $11.62
55.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.05 $19.05
$15.00 $15.00
27.00%
Apples (1kg)
$6.76 $6.76
$3.86 $3.86
75.13%
Banana (1kg)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.39 $1.39
63.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.83 $6.83
$3.30 $3.30
106.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.09 $7.09
$3.04 $3.04
133.22%
Potato (1kg)
$4.22 $4.22
$2.15 $2.15
96.28%
Onion (1kg)
$4.65 $4.65
$2.26 $2.26
105.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.87 $2.87
$2.19 $2.19
31.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.60 $2.60
$1.93 $1.93
34.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.77 $18.77
$8.43 $8.43
122.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.13 $20.13
$9.86 $9.86
104.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.45 $3.45
$1.73 $1.73
99.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 $4.02
$3.15 $3.15
27.62%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Starkville, MS
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 $2.91
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 $139
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 $3.08
$4.18 $4.18
-26.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.12 $2.12
$1.87 $1.87
13.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.96 $41.96
$32.65 $32.65
28.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 $1.17
$0.86 $0.86
36.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K $34.5K
$30.0K $30.0K
15.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$25.5K $25.5K
1.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Starkville, MS
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$168 $168
30.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$74.2 $74.2
$29.80 $29.80
149.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.2 $70.2
$53.7 $53.7
30.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Starkville, MS
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$112 $112
$17.46 $17.46
541.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$74.9 $74.9
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$22.14 $22.14
$8.04 $8.04
175.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Starkville, MS
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,558 $3,558
$1,567 $1,567
127.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$62.2K $62.2K
$8,234 $8,234
654.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Starkville, MS
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.6 $75.6
$74.9 $74.9
1.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.2 $51.2
$53.5 $53.5
-4.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 $123
$87.6 $87.6
40.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 $140
$171 $171
-18.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Starkville, MS
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,499 $4,499
$946 $946
375.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,078 $3,078
$735 $735
319.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$9,447 $9,447
$1,536 $1,536
514.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,190 $5,190
$1,344 $1,344
286.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.1K $18.1K
$2,185 $2,185
728.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,693 $6,693
$2,184 $2,184
206.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Starkville, MS
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,220 $5,220
$4,153 $4,153
25.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.86
6.65
3.16%

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 Starkville, MS: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3.1K
Starkville, MS
$735 76.1% $2.3K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$563
Starkville, MS
$334 40.7% $229
Eating Out
New York, NY
$440
Starkville, MS
$246 44.2% $194
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$364
Starkville, MS
$252 30.8% $112
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$175
Starkville, MS
$174 0.8% $1.4
Getting Around
New York, NY
$164
Starkville, MS
$14 * 91.8% $151
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$156
Starkville, MS
$34 78.5% $123

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $946 in Starkville, MS. 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 26% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $60 in Starkville, MS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $334 – making Starkville, MS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇺🇸 Starkville, MS
🕒 Local time
05:50 5:50 AM
04:50 4:50 AM
1 h behind New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
22,638
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Starkville, MS 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Starkville, MS

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 Starkville, MS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, New York, NY or Starkville, MS?
New York, NY costs about 176% more than Starkville, MS, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in New York, NY and in Starkville, MS?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $2,681 in Starkville, MS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, New York, NY or Starkville, MS?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Starkville, MS, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $946 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.
How much does it cost to live in New York, NY compared to Starkville, MS?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $1,787 in Starkville, MS. That makes Starkville, MS about 64% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in New York, NY and in Starkville, MS?
Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,567 in Starkville, MS. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,500/month in New York, NY or in Starkville, MS?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Starkville, MS, where all-in costs run around $1,787, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Starkville, MS it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Starkville, MS – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to New York, NY or to Starkville, MS?
If budget matters most, go with Starkville, MS. 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.

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