Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palm Springs, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Palm Springs, CA: $2,874 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Palm Springs, CA
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Palm Springs, CA Living Index
245

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

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Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,874

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,874 per month in Palm Springs, CA vs $5,142 in New York, NY, rent included.

Palm Springs, CA $2,874
New York, NY $5,142

A couple spends around $4,597 per month in Palm Springs, CA vs $7,455 in New York, NY, rent included.

Palm Springs, CA $4,597
New York, NY $7,455

A family of three spends $6,321 per month in Palm Springs, CA vs $9,767 in New York, NY, rent included.

Palm Springs, CA $6,321
New York, NY $9,767

Palm Springs, CA is about 44% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Palm Springs, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Palm Springs, CA by 114%, New York, NY by 284%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.47 $30.47

$26.46 $26.46

15.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$119 $119

-35.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$14.43 $14.43

-31.60%

Cappuccino

$5.51 $5.51

$6.55 $6.55

-15.88%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$3.84 $3.84

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.00 $3.00

-48.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 $4.85

$8.27 $8.27

-41.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 $5.70

$10.05 $10.05

-43.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.31 $1.31

1.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.90 $4.90

-19.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$7.16 $7.16

-59.50%

Eggs

$5.78 $5.78

$5.92 $5.92

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$19.06 $19.06

-25.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.76 $13.76

$17.38 $17.38

-20.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.56 $12.56

$18.94 $18.94

-33.69%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$6.96 $6.96

-27.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.08 $2.08

3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$6.10 $6.10

-28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$6.95 $6.95

-28.63%

Potato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.98 $3.98

15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.44 $4.44

-1.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.81 $2.81

-21.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.51 $2.51

-11.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 $11.83

$19.27 $19.27

-38.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 $13.70

$19.67 $19.67

-30.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$3.08 $3.08

-47.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.68 $3.68

-27.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.02 $3.02

-43.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.67 $34.67

$140 $140

-75.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.07 $3.07

11.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.13 $2.13

-10.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.59 $23.59

$41.21 $41.21

-42.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.11 $1.11

23.42%

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

$33.7K $33.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-3.64%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.89%

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

$244 $244

$217 $217

12.15%

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

$82.3 $82.3

$74.0 $74.0

11.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 $64.9

$72.5 $72.5

-10.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.30 $32.30

$120 $120

-73.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.52 $49.52

$66.9 $66.9

-25.97%

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 $12.06

$22.32 $22.32

-45.97%

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

$536 $536

$3,425 $3,425

-84.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,541 $8,541

$61.2K $61.2K

-86.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.77 $31.77

$76.3 $76.3

-58.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 $34.63

$55.5 $55.5

-37.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 $73.3

$119 $119

-38.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$131 $131

7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 $1,831

$4,506 $4,506

-59.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 $1,519

$3,155 $3,155

-51.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,700 $3,700

$8,817 $8,817

-58.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,215 $3,215

$5,532 $5,532

-41.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,072 $5,072

$19.4K $19.4K

-73.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,350 $3,350

$6,754 $6,754

-50.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,790 $4,790

$5,290 $5,290

-9.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.82

-2.05%

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

Last update for Palm Springs, CA: October 5, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palm Springs, CA

$1.5K 51.4%

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2% 108% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Palm Springs, CA

$416 14.1%

New York, NY

$546 11% 31.4% $131

Eating Out

Palm Springs, CA

$393 13.3%

New York, NY

$422 8.5% 7.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palm Springs, CA

$391 13.2%

New York, NY

$364 7.3% 6.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Palm Springs, CA

$126 4.3%

New York, NY

$172 3.4% 36.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Palm Springs, CA

$56 1.9%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 193% $109

Getting Around

Palm Springs, CA

$54 1.8%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 204% $111

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,831 in Palm Springs, CA versus $4,506 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 10% 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 $76.0 in Palm Springs, CA versus $119 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $546 – making Palm Springs, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

04:54 4:54 AM

3 h ahead of Palm Springs, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,575

8,804,190

💱 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

Palm Springs, CA New York, NY 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Palm Springs, 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

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

New York, NY costs about 79% more than Palm Springs, 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 $4,311 per month in Palm Springs, CA and $7,714 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 Palm Springs, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $536 per month in Palm Springs, CA and $3,425 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 31% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,874 in Palm Springs, CA and $5,142 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Palm Springs, CA costs $2,874 versus $5,142 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Palm Springs, 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.