Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmas and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmas: $834 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $49,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Palmas
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Palmas Living Index
239

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

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Palmas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$834

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $834 per month in Palmas vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Palmas $834
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $1,292 per month in Palmas vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Palmas $1,292
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $1,751 per month in Palmas vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Palmas $1,751
New York, NY $9,608

Palmas is about 83% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Palmas sits 38% below the global median, while New York, NY is 264% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.96 R$20.06

$24.99 $24.99

-84.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.09 R$102

$120 $120

-83.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 R$40.93

$13.74 $13.74

-41.27%

Cappuccino

$1.43 R$7.27

$6.60 $6.60

-78.33%

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

$1.82 R$9.21

$3.82 $3.82

-52.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 R$5.69

$2.87 $2.87

-60.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 R$7.22

$7.95 $7.95

-82.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 R$15.70

$10.06 $10.06

-69.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.47

$1.37 $1.37

-21.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 R$7.45

$4.75 $4.75

-69.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.28

$7.69 $7.69

-83.88%

Eggs

$2.67 R$13.52

$5.87 $5.87

-54.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.12 R$36.11

$19.25 $19.25

-63.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 R$15.80

$17.83 $17.83

-82.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.31 R$31.98

$19.03 $19.03

-66.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 R$10.98

$6.69 $6.69

-67.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 R$8.85

$2.29 $2.29

-23.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$6.41 $6.41

-80.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.21

$6.75 $6.75

-81.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.42

$3.93 $3.93

-67.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.43

$4.52 $4.52

-76.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.91

$2.79 $2.79

-72.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$3.91

$2.51 $2.51

-69.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 R$12.48

$18.10 $18.10

-86.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 R$36.30

$20.16 $20.16

-64.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$6.71

$3.26 $3.26

-59.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 R$10.66

$3.75 $3.75

-44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.72

$2.92 $2.92

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.43 R$220

$143 $143

-69.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 R$6.71

$3.06 $3.06

-56.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.28

$2.16 $2.16

-61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 R$39.74

$41.33 $41.33

-81.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.08

$1.12 $1.12

7.14%

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

$23.9K R$121.4K

$33.1K $33.1K

-27.72%

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

$33.0K R$167.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

28.33%

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

$115 R$581

$219 $219

-47.70%

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

$11.64 R$59.0

$75.3 $75.3

-84.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.99 R$101

$70.5 $70.5

-71.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.48 R$119

$116 $116

-79.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 R$139

$67.6 $67.6

-59.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 R$33.36

$21.37 $21.37

-69.21%

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

$155 R$785

$3,432 $3,432

-95.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,304 R$37.0K

$61.7K $61.7K

-88.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.91 R$187

$74.9 $74.9

-50.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 R$256

$52.1 $52.1

-3.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R$583

$117 $117

-1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 R$368

$135 $135

-46.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 R$1,514

$4,347 $4,347

-93.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 R$1,035

$3,117 $3,117

-93.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 R$3,162

$9,110 $9,110

-93.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 R$2,165

$5,379 $5,379

-92.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,718 R$8,707

$19.3K $19.3K

-91.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,207 R$6,116

$6,943 $6,943

-82.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

60.58%

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

Last update for Palmas: October 19, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palmas

$204 24.5%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 1427% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

Palmas

$173 20.7%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 220% $379

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmas

$146 17.6%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 150% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Palmas

$124 14.8%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 37.7% $47

Eating Out

Palmas

$98 11.8%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 315% $309

Getting Around

Palmas

$52 6.2%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 224% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Palmas

$37 4.4%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 332% $122

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $299 in Palmas versus $4,347 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Palmas versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $552 – making Palmas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Palmas

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

17:35 5:35 PM

1 h behind Palmas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

302,692

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Palmas New York, NY 6,240 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Palmas
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

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

New York, NY costs about 492% more than Palmas, 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 $1,250 per month in Palmas and $7,407 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 Palmas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $155 per month in Palmas and $3,432 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 220% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Palmas, where all-in costs run around $834, than in New York, NY at $4,938. In Palmas it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Palmas costs $834 versus $4,938 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 Palmas. 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.