Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ontario, CA: $3,259 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Ontario, CA
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Ontario, CA Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,259

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

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Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ontario, CA and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,259 per month in Ontario, CA vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Ontario, CA $3,259
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $4,446 per month in Ontario, CA vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Ontario, CA $4,446
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $5,634 per month in Ontario, CA vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Ontario, CA $5,634
New York, NY $9,509

Ontario, CA is about 34% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ontario, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Ontario, CA by 139%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$28.55 $28.55

-29.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$118 $118

-35.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 $14.80

$15.04 $15.04

-1.60%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$6.53 $6.53

-10.26%

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

$3.19 $3.19

$3.96 $3.96

-19.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.01 $3.01

-21.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$8.16 $8.16

-13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.62 $9.62

$9.84 $9.84

-2.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.37 $1.37

-20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$4.97 $4.97

-17.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$7.81 $7.81

-39.82%

Eggs

$4.73 $4.73

$5.97 $5.97

-20.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$18.91 $18.91

-30.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 $8.78

$18.04 $18.04

-51.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 $15.36

$19.05 $19.05

-19.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$6.76 $6.76

-31.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.27 $2.27

-24.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$6.83 $6.83

-40.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$7.09 $7.09

-23.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$4.22 $4.22

-14.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$4.65 $4.65

-51.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.87 $2.87

-31.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.60 $2.60

-25.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.01 $12.01

$18.77 $18.77

-36.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$20.13 $20.13

-25.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$3.45 $3.45

-44.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$4.02 $4.02

6.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.91 $2.91

-31.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.16 $45.16

$139 $139

-67.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 $6.38

$3.08 $3.08

107.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.17 $1.17

23.93%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$34.5K $34.5K

-15.80%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

4.41%

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

$216 $216

$219 $219

-1.59%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$74.2 $74.2

-7.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$70.2 $70.2

-9.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.73 $47.73

$112 $112

-57.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 $29.40

$74.9 $74.9

-60.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 $17.76

$22.14 $22.14

-19.78%

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

$1,169 $1,169

$3,558 $3,558

-67.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$75.6 $75.6

-22.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 $40.06

$51.2 $51.2

-21.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 $93.6

$123 $123

-23.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$140 $140

-25.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 $1,829

$4,499 $4,499

-59.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,891 $1,891

$3,078 $3,078

-38.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,154 $3,154

$9,447 $9,447

-66.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,621 $2,621

$5,190 $5,190

-49.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,369 $4,369

$18.1K $18.1K

-75.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,557 $3,557

$6,693 $6,693

-46.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,635 $3,635

$5,220 $5,220

-30.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.86

-6.85%

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

Last update for Ontario, CA: October 25, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ontario, CA

$1.9K 58%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 62.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Ontario, CA

$391 12%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 44.1% $172

Eating Out

Ontario, CA

$353 10.8%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 24.6% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ontario, CA

$348 10.7%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 4.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Ontario, CA

$133 4.1%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 31.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Ontario, CA

$83 2.6%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 87.7% $73

Getting Around

Ontario, CA

$59 * 1.8%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 176% $105

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,829 in Ontario, CA versus $4,499 in New York, NY. 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 44% 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 $76 in Ontario, CA versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $563 – making Ontario, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

11:13 11:13 AM

3 h ahead of Ontario, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

185,000

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ontario, CA New York, NY 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ontario, CA
New York, NY

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

Ontario, CA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 52% more than Ontario, 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 $4,888 per month in Ontario, CA and $7,412 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ontario, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,829 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $1,169 per month in Ontario, CA and $3,558 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,259 in Ontario, CA and $4,941 in New York, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Ontario, 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.