Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Syracuse, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Syracuse, NY: $3,009 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 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 Syracuse, NY
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Syracuse, NY Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Syracuse, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Syracuse, 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 Syracuse, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $3,009 in Syracuse, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Syracuse, NY $3,009

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $4,141 in Syracuse, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Syracuse, NY $4,141

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $5,273 in Syracuse, NY, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Syracuse, NY $5,273

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

Both New York, NY and Syracuse, NY sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Syracuse, NY by 122%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$18.10 $18.10

38.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$75.9 $75.9

58.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$12.05 $12.05

14.02%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$6.08 $6.08

8.55%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.76 $2.76

38.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.04 $2.04

40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$6.79 $6.79

17.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.55 $7.55

33.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.90 $0.90

52.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.42 $3.42

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.52 $4.52

70.13%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.07 $4.07

44.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$11.24 $11.24

71.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$13.75 $13.75

29.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$18.05 $18.05

5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$6.25 $6.25

7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.37 $1.37

67.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$5.22 $5.22

22.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$7.04 $7.04

-4.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.90 $2.90

35.52%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.78 $3.78

19.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.02 $3.02

-7.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.65 $2.65

-5.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$14.68 $14.68

23.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.15 $15.15

33.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.95 $2.95

10.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.80 $4.80

-21.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.79 $2.79

4.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$113 $113

25.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.84 $3.84

-20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.17 $2.17

-0.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$30.35 $30.35

36.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.11 $1.11

0.90%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$30.6K $30.6K

8.21%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.95%

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

$219 $219

$232 $232

-5.56%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$58.7 $58.7

28.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$74.2 $74.2

-4.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$52.7 $52.7

119.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$32.60 $32.60

107.42%

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$15.20 $15.20

40.59%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,694 $1,694

102.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$17.7K $17.7K

248.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$55.5 $55.5

34.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$48.19 $48.19

8.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$96.8 $96.8

20.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$120 $120

12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,703 $1,703

155.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,511 $1,511

106.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$3,190 $3,190

185.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,007 $2,007

168.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$1,758 $1,758

996.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$1,935 $1,935

258.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$3,646 $3,646

43.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.67

2.70%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Syracuse, NY: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Syracuse, NY

$1.5K 50.2% 51.5% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Syracuse, NY

$445 14.8% 19.5% $108

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Syracuse, NY

$322 10.7% 20.8% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Syracuse, NY

$365 12.1% 0% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Syracuse, NY

$144 4.8% 15.3% $26

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Syracuse, NY

$139 4.6% 17.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Syracuse, NY

$83 2.8% 47.5% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,703 in Syracuse, 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 44% 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 $120 in New York, NY versus $76.0 in Syracuse, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $445 – making Syracuse, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Syracuse, NY

🕒 Local time

07:40 7:40 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

148,620

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Syracuse, NY 310 km

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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 Syracuse, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 64% more than Syracuse, NY, 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 $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $4,513 in Syracuse, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Syracuse, NY, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,694 in Syracuse, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $3,009 in Syracuse, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Syracuse, NY costs $3,009 versus $4,938 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 Syracuse, NY. 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.