Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Thornton, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Thornton, CO: $2,887 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Thornton, CO
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Thornton, CO Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Thornton, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,887 in Thornton, CO, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Thornton, CO $2,887

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,977 in Thornton, CO, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Thornton, CO $3,977

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,068 in Thornton, CO, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Thornton, CO $5,068

New York, NY costs about 71% more than Thornton, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Thornton, CO sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Thornton, CO by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.21 $20.21

41.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$84.0 $84.0

41.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$13.03 $13.03

15.43%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.90 $5.90

10.68%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.00 $3.00

32.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.27 $2.27

32.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.12 $7.12

14.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.05 $8.05

22.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.07 $1.07

28.04%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.24 $3.24

53.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.29 $4.29

82.05%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.10 $5.10

17.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$14.77 $14.77

28.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$13.72 $13.72

31.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.16 $19.16

-0.57%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.26 $5.26

28.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.16 $2.16

5.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.50 $4.50

51.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.65 $4.65

52.47%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.64 $2.64

59.85%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.50 $2.50

86.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.40 $2.40

19.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.43 $2.43

7.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.20 $10.20

84.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$19.18 $19.18

4.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.78 $2.78

24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.76 $4.76

-15.55%

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

$3.40 $3.40

-9.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.39 $1.39

52.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$24.76 $24.76

69.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.03 $1.03

13.59%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.5K $28.5K

20.84%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.19%

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

$219 $219

$165 $165

33.09%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$77.5 $77.5

-4.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$86.6 $86.6

-18.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$55.7 $55.7

101.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$9.96 $9.96

651.61%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$15.02 $15.02

47.40%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,579 $1,579

125.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$24.7K $24.7K

151.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$58.3 $58.3

29.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.21 $39.21

30.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$83.1 $83.1

48.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$124 $124

12.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,743 $1,743

158.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,535 $1,535

100.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,628 $2,628

259.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,029 $2,029

155.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$5,576 $5,576

-6.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.72

2.08%

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 Thornton, CO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Thornton, CO

$1.5K 53.2% 50.1% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Thornton, CO

$445 15.4% 21% $118

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Thornton, CO

$344 11.9% 21.8% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Thornton, CO

$329 11.4% 9.6% $35

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Thornton, CO

$137 4.8% 21.8% $38

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Thornton, CO

$10 * 0.4% 93.7% $154

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Thornton, CO

$86 3% 45.1% $71

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 $1,743 in Thornton, CO. 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 7% higher in Thornton, CO, 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 $84 in Thornton, CO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $445 – making Thornton, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Thornton, CO

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

16:24 4:24 PM

2 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

139,478

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Thornton, CO 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Thornton, CO

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 Thornton, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 71% more than Thornton, CO, 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 $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,330 in Thornton, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thornton, CO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,743 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,887 in Thornton, CO. That makes Thornton, CO about 42% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,579 in Thornton, CO. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,887 in Thornton, CO. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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