Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Tacoma, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacoma, WA: $3,008 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
144

Cost of Living Index in Tacoma, WA
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Tacoma, WA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Tacoma, WA

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 Tacoma, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,008 in Tacoma, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Tacoma, WA $3,008

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,371 in Tacoma, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Tacoma, WA $4,371

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,735 in Tacoma, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Tacoma, WA $5,735

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.28 $25.28

12.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$80.9 $80.9

46.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.14 $12.14

23.89%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.61 $5.61

16.40%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.10 $3.10

27.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.64 $2.64

14.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.94 $6.94

17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$6.92 $6.92

42.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.10 $1.10

24.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.20 $4.20

18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.83 $5.83

33.96%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.69 $5.69

4.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$15.85 $15.85

19.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$15.91 $15.91

13.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$23.45 $23.45

-18.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.99 $4.99

35.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.74 $1.74

30.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.32 $4.32

58.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.52 $4.52

56.86%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.69 $2.69

56.88%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.93 $2.93

58.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.73 $1.73

65.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.26 $3.26

-20.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.05 $12.05

55.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$18.35 $18.35

9.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.77 $1.77

94.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.99 $4.99

-19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.02 $2.02

44.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$62.6 $62.6

121.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.55 $2.55

20.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.69 $1.69

25.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$29.77 $29.77

40.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.32 $1.32

-11.36%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.2K $28.2K

22.10%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.76%

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

$219 $219

$230 $230

-4.80%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$91.1 $91.1

-18.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$86.7 $86.7

-19.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$36.12 $36.12

209.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$18.09 $18.09

313.82%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$13.97 $13.97

58.48%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,085 $2,085

70.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$32.6K $32.6K

90.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$61.9 $61.9

22.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$44.73 $44.73

14.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$86.3 $86.3

42.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$130 $130

7.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,735 $1,735

159.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,444 $1,444

113.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,699 $2,699

249.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,309 $2,309

124.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$4,794 $4,794

277.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$3,251 $3,251

105.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,927 $4,927

5.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.64

3.31%

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 Tacoma, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Tacoma, WA

$1.4K 48% 53.1% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Tacoma, WA

$487 16.2% 13.4% $76

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Tacoma, WA

$378 12.6% 14.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Tacoma, WA

$408 13.6% 12.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Tacoma, WA

$145 4.8% 17.2% $30

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Tacoma, WA

$82 2.7% 50.3% $83

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Tacoma, WA

$64 2.1% 59% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,735 in Tacoma, WA. 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 6% 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 $81 in Tacoma, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $487 – making Tacoma, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

04:48 4:48 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

219,346

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Tacoma, WA 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Tacoma, WA

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 Tacoma, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 64% more than Tacoma, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. 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 $4,512 in Tacoma, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tacoma, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,735 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $2,085 in Tacoma, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,008 in Tacoma, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tacoma, WA costs $3,008 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Tacoma, WA. 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.