Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Thousand Oaks, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Thousand Oaks, CA: $3,845 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 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
186

Cost of Living Index in Thousand Oaks, CA
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Thousand Oaks, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Thousand Oaks, CA

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 Thousand Oaks, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $3,845 in Thousand Oaks, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Thousand Oaks, CA $3,845

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $5,209 in Thousand Oaks, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Thousand Oaks, CA $5,209

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $6,573 in Thousand Oaks, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Thousand Oaks, CA $6,573

New York, NY costs about 34% more than Thousand Oaks, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Thousand Oaks, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 284%, Thousand Oaks, CA by 187%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$25.09 $25.09

5.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$98.3 $98.3

20.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$9.00 $9.00

60.33%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$5.63 $5.63

16.34%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.81 $2.81

36.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.03 $2.03

47.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$7.97 $7.97

3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$9.38 $9.38

7.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.19 $1.19

10.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.98 $3.98

23.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.58 $3.58

100.00%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$5.15 $5.15

14.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$12.54 $12.54

51.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$20.47 $20.47

-15.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$22.65 $22.65

-16.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$5.37 $5.37

29.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.79 $1.79

16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.80 $4.80

27.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$5.79 $5.79

20.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.62 $3.62

9.94%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.76 $2.76

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.62 $1.62

73.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.27 $2.27

10.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$10.17 $10.17

89.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$15.18 $15.18

29.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.68 $1.68

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.54 $1.54

138.96%

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

$4.43 $4.43

-30.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.91 $1.91

11.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$36.32 $36.32

13.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.48 $1.48

-25.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$37.5K $37.5K

-6.58%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.7K $25.7K

-1.17%

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

$217 $217

$161 $161

34.74%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$47.91 $47.91

54.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$69.7 $69.7

3.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$66.1 $66.1

82.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$22.11 $22.11

202.53%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$12.12 $12.12

84.16%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$1,718 $1,718

99.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$42.2K $42.2K

44.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$49.05 $49.05

55.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$29.43 $29.43

88.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$79.1 $79.1

50.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$121 $121

8.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$2,625 $2,625

71.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$2,493 $2,493

26.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$3,748 $3,748

135.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$3,457 $3,457

60.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$5,777 $5,777

235.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$5,858 $5,858

15.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$5,925 $5,925

-10.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.64

2.71%

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 Thousand Oaks, CA: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$2.5K 64.8% 21% $661

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$472 12.3% 13.5% $74

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$373 9.7% 11.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$279 7.3% 23.3% $85

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$125 3.3% 27.1% $47

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$14 * 0.4% 91.6% $151

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$90 2.4% 45.3% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY versus $2,625 in Thousand Oaks, CA. 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 12% higher in Thousand Oaks, CA, 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 $119 in New York, NY versus $98.0 in Thousand Oaks, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $472 – making Thousand Oaks, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Thousand Oaks, CA

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

07:42 7:42 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

124,207

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Thousand Oaks, CA 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Thousand Oaks, CA

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 Thousand Oaks, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 34% more than Thousand Oaks, CA, 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 $5,768 in Thousand Oaks, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $5,142 in New York, NY and $3,845 in Thousand Oaks, CA. That's a gap of about 34%.

Kindergarten costs $3,425 per month in New York, NY and $1,718 in Thousand Oaks, CA. 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 $5,142 in New York, NY and $3,845 in Thousand Oaks, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Thousand Oaks, CA costs $3,845 versus $5,142 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 Thousand Oaks, CA. 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.