Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Staten Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Staten Island, NY: $3,006 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Staten Island, NY
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Staten Island, NY Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Staten Island, NY

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 Staten Island, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,006 in Staten Island, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Staten Island, NY $3,006

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,490 in Staten Island, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Staten Island, NY $4,490

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,974 in Staten Island, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Staten Island, NY $5,974

New York, NY costs about 64% more than Staten Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Staten Island, NY sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Staten Island, NY by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$23.28 $23.28

22.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$89.1 $89.1

32.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$13.60 $13.60

10.59%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.74 $6.74

-3.12%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.58 $2.58

53.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.65 $1.65

82.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.04 $8.04

1.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.98 $7.98

23.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.24 $1.24

10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.94 $4.94

0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$6.42 $6.42

21.65%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.96 $5.96

0.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$17.57 $17.57

7.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$13.89 $13.89

29.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.69 $19.69

-3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.52 $6.52

3.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.55 $3.55

-36.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$6.70 $6.70

1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$7.03 $7.03

0.85%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.35 $4.35

-2.99%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.38 $4.38

6.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.92 $2.92

-1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.81 $2.81

-7.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$19.04 $19.04

-1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.77 $14.77

36.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.82 $1.82

89.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.52 $3.52

14.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.94 $2.94

-1.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.93 $2.93

5.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.16 $2.16

-1.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$42.42 $42.42

-1.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.15 $1.15

1.74%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

1.43%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.80%

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

$219 $219

$224 $224

-1.94%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$74.3 $74.3

-0.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$64.4 $64.4

9.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$116 $116

-3.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$20.64 $20.64

7.27%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,994 $1,994

78.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$16.3K $16.3K

281.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$72.3 $72.3

4.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$37.91 $37.91

35.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$105 $105

17.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$107 $107

30.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,855 $1,855

142.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,414 $1,414

117.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,364 $3,364

180.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,420 $2,420

114.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$6,788 $6,788

-23.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.8

0.88%

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 Staten Island, NY: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Staten Island, NY

$1.4K 47% 54.1% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Staten Island, NY

$521 17.3% 7.4% $42

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Staten Island, NY

$381 12.7% 13.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Staten Island, NY

$362 12.1% 0.4% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Staten Island, NY

$145 4.8% 17.3% $30

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Staten Island, NY

$25 * 0.9% 84.5% $139

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Staten Island, NY

$157 5.2% 0.4% $0.6

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 $1,855 in Staten Island, NY. 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 30% higher in Staten Island, NY, 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 $89 in Staten Island, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $521 – making Staten Island, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

495,747

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Staten Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 64% more than Staten Island, NY, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $4,508 in Staten Island, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Staten Island, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,855 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,006 in Staten Island, NY. That makes Staten Island, NY about 39% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,994 in Staten Island, NY. 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 $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,006 in Staten Island, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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