Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Surprise, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Surprise, AZ: $1,305 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $46,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Surprise, AZ
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Surprise, AZ Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Surprise, AZ

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 Surprise, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $1,305 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Surprise, AZ $1,305

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $3,606 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Surprise, AZ $3,606

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $5,906 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Surprise, AZ $5,906

New York, NY costs about 294% more than Surprise, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

New York, NY sits 284% above the global median, while Surprise, AZ is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$20.25 $20.25

30.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$84.2 $84.2

41.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$12.84 $12.84

12.38%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$6.01 $6.01

8.99%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.65 $2.65

44.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.46 $2.46

21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$7.20 $7.20

14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$8.13 $8.13

23.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.00 $1.00

31.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.52 $3.52

39.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$5.19 $5.19

37.96%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$4.73 $4.73

25.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$13.40 $13.40

42.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$11.30 $11.30

53.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$14.80 $14.80

27.97%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.61 $4.61

50.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.94 $1.94

7.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.88 $3.88

57.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.21 $4.21

65.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.55 $2.55

56.08%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.88 $2.88

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.13 $2.13

31.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.17 $2.17

15.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$10.66 $10.66

80.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$13.77 $13.77

42.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.51 $2.51

22.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.19 $3.19

15.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.80 $2.80

9.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.40 $1.40

52.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$35.29 $35.29

16.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.13 $1.13

-1.77%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$36.7K $36.7K

-4.72%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.3K $25.3K

0.38%

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

$217 $217

$197 $197

10.42%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$62.6 $62.6

18.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$73.8 $73.8

-1.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$60.8 $60.8

98.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$13.16 $13.16

69.60%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$1,090 $1,090

214.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$15.6K $15.6K

292.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$56.0 $56.0

36.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$44.17 $44.17

25.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$99.9 $99.9

19.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$115 $115

13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$2,116 $2,116

316.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$3,030 $3,030

82.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$1,591 $1,591

324.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$4,222 $4,222

25.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.44

5.90%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Surprise, AZ: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Surprise, AZ

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Surprise, AZ

$392 29.9% 28.3% $154

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Surprise, AZ

$345 26.4% 18.2% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Surprise, AZ

$333 25.5% 8.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Surprise, AZ

$142 10.8% 17.3% $30

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Surprise, AZ

$9.8 * 0.8% 94.1% $156

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Surprise, AZ

$87 6.7% 47.2% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 25% 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 $119 in New York, NY versus $84.0 in Surprise, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $392 – making Surprise, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

07:42 7:42 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

143,148

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Surprise, AZ 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Surprise, AZ

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 Surprise, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 294% more than Surprise, AZ, 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 $7,714 per month in New York, NY and $1,958 in Surprise, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $5,142 in New York, NY and $1,305 in Surprise, AZ. That's a gap of about 294%.

Kindergarten costs $3,425 per month in New York, NY and $1,090 in Surprise, AZ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surprise, AZ, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Surprise, AZ it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Surprise, AZ costs $1,305 versus $5,142 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Surprise, AZ. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.