Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Ventura, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ventura, CA: $3,426 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 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
167

Cost of Living Index in Ventura, CA
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Ventura, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Ventura, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,426 in Ventura, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Ventura, CA $3,426

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,733 in Ventura, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Ventura, CA $4,733

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $6,041 in Ventura, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Ventura, CA $6,041

New York, NY costs about 44% more than Ventura, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Ventura, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Ventura, CA by 152%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$24.54 $24.54

16.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$68.9 $68.9

71.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.69 $11.69

28.66%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.63 $5.63

15.99%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.83 $2.83

39.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.95 $1.95

54.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.81 $6.81

19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.23 $9.23

6.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.19 $1.19

15.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.90 $5.90

-15.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.15 $2.15

263.26%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.99 $4.99

19.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.61 $8.61

119.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$8.99 $8.99

100.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$14.17 $14.17

34.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$3.32 $3.32

103.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.50 $1.50

51.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.22 $3.22

112.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.50 $4.50

57.56%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.21 $2.21

90.95%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.57 $3.57

30.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.02 $2.02

42.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.20 $2.20

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.73 $10.73

74.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.62 $14.62

37.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.69 $1.69

104.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.68 $2.68

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.95 $1.95

49.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$57.6 $57.6

141.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.39 $4.39

-29.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.88 $1.88

12.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$35.57 $35.57

17.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.48 $1.48

-20.95%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.7K $27.7K

24.62%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.4K $26.4K

-1.97%

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

$219 $219

$148 $148

48.33%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$57.4 $57.4

29.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$71.0 $71.0

-1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$35.49 $35.49

215.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$19.86 $19.86

276.94%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$11.87 $11.87

86.52%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,109 $1,109

220.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$43.3K $43.3K

43.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$50.4 $50.4

50.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$29.68 $29.68

72.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$66.0 $66.0

86.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$85.4 $85.4

63.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,668 $2,668

68.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,171 $2,171

41.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,691 $3,691

155.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,239 $3,239

60.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$6,859 $6,859

163.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$5,677 $5,677

17.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,831 $4,831

8.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.44

6.52%

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 Ventura, CA: 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%

Ventura, CA

$2.2K 63.4% 29.5% $907

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Ventura, CA

$365 10.7% 35.2% $198

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Ventura, CA

$371 10.8% 15.8% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Ventura, CA

$276 8.1% 24.1% $88

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Ventura, CA

$104 3% 40.6% $71

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Ventura, CA

$79 2.3% 51.8% $85

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Ventura, CA

$59 1.7% 62.1% $97

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,668 in Ventura, 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 8% 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 $69 in Ventura, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $365 – making Ventura, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Ventura, CA

🕒 Local time

20:33 8:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

104,423

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Ventura, CA 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Ventura, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 44% more than Ventura, CA, 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 $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $5,138 in Ventura, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ventura, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,668 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,109 in Ventura, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% 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 $3,426 in Ventura, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ventura, CA costs $3,426 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 Ventura, CA. 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.