Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Waltham, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Waltham, MA: $4,278 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
205

Cost of Living Index in Waltham, MA
Learn more

Waltham, MA Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $4,278 in Waltham, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Waltham, MA $4,278

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $6,563 in Waltham, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Waltham, MA $6,563

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $8,848 in Waltham, MA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Waltham, MA $8,848

New York, NY costs about 15% more than Waltham, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Waltham, MA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Waltham, MA by 214%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$24.85 $24.85

14.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$96.5 $96.5

22.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.02 $12.02

25.12%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.17 $5.17

26.31%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.95 $2.95

34.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.20 $2.20

36.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.04 $5.04

61.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.06 $8.06

22.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.04 $1.04

31.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.92 $3.92

26.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.37 $5.37

45.44%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.89 $4.89

22.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.07 $11.07

70.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$14.16 $14.16

27.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$17.36 $17.36

9.74%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.66 $6.66

1.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.73 $1.73

31.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.48 $5.48

24.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.65 $5.65

25.49%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.52 $4.52

-6.64%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.02 $4.02

15.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.98 $2.98

-3.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.94 $2.94

-11.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.30 $13.30

41.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$13.60 $13.60

48.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.11 $2.11

63.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.12 $4.12

-2.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$58.8 $58.8

136.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.66 $2.66

15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.72 $1.72

23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$28.47 $28.47

47.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.05 $1.05

11.43%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.0K $27.0K

27.72%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.98%

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

$219 $219

$324 $324

-32.20%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$54.6 $54.6

35.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$86.2 $86.2

-18.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$252 $252

-55.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.65 $14.65

51.13%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,806 $1,806

97.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$30.3K $30.3K

105.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$56.9 $56.9

32.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$37.57 $37.57

36.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$81.3 $81.3

51.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$98.8 $98.8

41.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,497 $2,497

80.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,525 $2,525

21.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$5,433 $5,433

73.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$5,088 $5,088

2.01%

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

$5,449 $5,449

-4.20%

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 Waltham, MA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Waltham, MA

$2.5K 59% 18% $554

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Waltham, MA

$455 10.6% 19.1% $108

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Waltham, MA

$359 8.4% 18.5% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Waltham, MA

$464 10.9% 27.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Waltham, MA

$124 2.9% 29.6% $52

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Waltham, MA

$70 * 1.6% 57.3% $94

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Waltham, MA

$281 6.6% 80.1% $125

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 $2,497 in Waltham, MA. 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 4% higher in Waltham, MA, 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 $96 in Waltham, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $455 – making Waltham, MA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Waltham, MA

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

60,636

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Waltham, MA 310 km

From you

New York, NY
Waltham, MA

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 Waltham, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 15% more than Waltham, MA, 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 $6,418 in Waltham, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Waltham, MA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,497 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,806 in Waltham, MA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $4,278 in Waltham, MA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Waltham, MA costs $4,278 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Waltham, MA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 13% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.