Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Tena

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $831 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $49,400 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Tena
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Tena Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Tena

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $831 in Tena, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
Tena $831

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $1,425 in Tena, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
Tena $1,425

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $2,018 in Tena, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
Tena $2,018

New York, NY costs about 495% more than Tena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New York, NY sits 267% above the global median, while Tena is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$6.03 $6.03

308.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$54.9 $54.9

121.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$7.61 $7.61

82.79%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$3.39 $3.39

94.40%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$1.38 $1.38

178.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.10 $1.10

160.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$3.45 $3.45

125.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$6.09 $6.09

61.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.15 $1.15

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$1.53 $1.53

205.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$1.56 $1.56

383.33%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$2.16 $2.16

174.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$6.41 $6.41

193.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$5.63 $5.63

208.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$7.77 $7.77

138.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$2.22 $2.22

203.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.18 $1.18

77.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$1.27 $1.27

377.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$1.13 $1.13

496.46%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$1.19 $1.19

240.34%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.07 $1.07

308.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$0.92 $0.92

214.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.05 $1.05

147.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$5.87 $5.87

218.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$9.91 $9.91

102.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.59 $1.59

104.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.17 $3.17

17.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$0.33 $0.33

827.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$16.94 $16.94

729.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.51 $1.51

101.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.76 $0.76

182.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$9.95 $9.95

320.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.80 $0.80

40.00%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$21.3K $21.3K

66.69%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$28.5K $28.5K

-8.67%

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

$219 $219

$29.16 $29.16

651.06%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$17.66 $17.66

314.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$28.72 $28.72

150.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$32.43 $32.43

278.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$15.44 $15.44

338.28%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$6.45 $6.45

254.26%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$226 $226

1372.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$8,840 $8,840

578.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$69.8 $69.8

7.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$50.4 $50.4

3.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$114 $114

6.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$106 $106

25.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$300 $300

1361.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$186 $186

1586.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$728 $728

1125.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$417 $417

1184.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$1,120 $1,120

1632.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$717 $717

849.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

10.12

-32.61%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Tena

$186 22.3% 94.1% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Tena

$197 23.8% 63.8% $348

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Tena

$151 18.2% 62.5% $252

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Tena

$76 9.1% 79.3% $289

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Tena

$153 18.4% 11.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Tena

$45 5.5% 73.1% $123

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Tena

$24 2.8% 85.8% $143

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $300 in Tena. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in New York, NY versus $55.0 in Tena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $197 – making Tena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇪🇨 Tena

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

16,669

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Tena 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Tena

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 Tena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 495% more than Tena, 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 $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $1,247 in Tena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $3,333 per month in New York, NY and $226 in Tena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 176% 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.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tena, where all-in costs run around $831, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Tena 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. Tena costs $831 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tena. 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.