Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Sugar Land, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Sugar Land, TX: $2,235 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,500 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Sugar Land, TX
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Sugar Land, TX Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Sugar Land, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Sugar Land, TX

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 Sugar Land, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,235 in Sugar Land, TX, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Sugar Land, TX $2,235

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,321 in Sugar Land, TX, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Sugar Land, TX $3,321

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,407 in Sugar Land, TX, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Sugar Land, TX $4,407

New York, NY costs about 121% more than Sugar Land, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Sugar Land, TX sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Sugar Land, TX by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.18 $20.18

41.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$75.3 $75.3

57.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.04 $11.04

36.23%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.40 $5.40

20.93%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.64 $2.64

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.33 $2.33

29.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.82 $5.82

40.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.93 $7.93

24.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.11 $1.11

23.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.24 $3.24

53.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.19 $3.19

144.83%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.97 $3.97

50.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.48 $11.48

64.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$12.67 $12.67

42.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$15.99 $15.99

19.14%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.63 $4.63

46.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.40 $1.40

62.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$2.97 $2.97

129.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.88 $3.88

82.73%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.10 $2.10

100.95%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.28 $2.28

103.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.75 $1.75

64.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.15 $2.15

20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.16 $10.16

84.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.34 $14.34

40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.55 $2.55

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.97 $2.97

35.35%

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

$2.83 $2.83

8.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.41 $1.41

50.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$23.88 $23.88

75.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.91 $0.91

28.57%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.7K $34.7K

-0.50%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.9K $26.9K

-3.76%

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

$219 $219

$199 $199

10.46%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$57.5 $57.5

29.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$70.5 $70.5

-0.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$39.85 $39.85

180.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.15 $14.15

56.47%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,466 $1,466

142.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

189.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$49.52 $49.52

52.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$42.75 $42.75

19.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$85.1 $85.1

44.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$94.0 $94.0

48.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,366 $1,366

229.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,013 $1,013

204.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,036 $2,036

363.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,714 $1,714

202.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,830 $1,830

889.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,829 $1,829

265.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$7,209 $7,209

-27.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.7

2.39%

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 Sugar Land, TX: 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%

Sugar Land, TX

$1K 45.3% 67.1% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Sugar Land, TX

$372 16.6% 34% $191

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Sugar Land, TX

$324 14.5% 26.3% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Sugar Land, TX

$327 14.6% 10.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Sugar Land, TX

$122 5.5% 30.4% $53

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Sugar Land, TX

$9.9 * 0.4% 94% $154

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Sugar Land, TX

$68 3.1% 56.4% $88

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 $1,366 in Sugar Land, TX. 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 38% higher in Sugar Land, TX, 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 $75 in Sugar Land, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $372 – making Sugar Land, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Sugar Land, TX

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

18:16 6:16 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

79,943

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Sugar Land, TX 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Sugar Land, TX

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 Sugar Land, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 121% more than Sugar Land, TX, 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 $3,353 in Sugar Land, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sugar Land, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,366 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,235 in Sugar Land, TX. That makes Sugar Land, TX about 55% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,466 in Sugar Land, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Sugar Land, TX, where all-in costs run around $2,235, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Sugar Land, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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