Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasadena, CA: $4,276 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

207

Cost of Living Index in Pasadena, CA
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Pasadena, 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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Pasadena, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,276

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,276 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $4,276
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $6,133 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $6,133
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $7,990 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $7,990
New York, NY $9,581

Pasadena, CA is about 14% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pasadena, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Pasadena, CA by 217%, New York, NY by 267%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 $17.89

$24.65 $24.65

-27.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$122 $122

-37.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$13.91 $13.91

-27.32%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$6.59 $6.59

-30.05%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$3.84 $3.84

-26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.87 $2.87

-44.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 $4.95

$7.79 $7.79

-36.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 $5.71

$9.85 $9.85

-42.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.38 $1.38

0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.68 $4.68

-14.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$7.54 $7.54

-61.14%

Eggs

$5.22 $5.22

$5.93 $5.93

-11.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 $13.74

$18.83 $18.83

-27.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$17.36 $17.36

-19.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.58 $12.58

$18.51 $18.51

-32.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$6.74 $6.74

-31.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.09 $2.09

7.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$6.07 $6.07

-25.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$6.74 $6.74

-9.05%

Potato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.05 $4.05

14.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$4.37 $4.37

-45.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.89 $2.89

-35.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.60 $2.60

-14.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 $11.64

$18.72 $18.72

-37.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 $10.96

$20.06 $20.06

-45.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.25 $3.25

-51.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.73 $3.73

-49.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.06 $3.06

-42.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 $103

$140 $140

-26.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.04 $3.04

16.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.15 $2.15

-12.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.02 $24.02

$41.82 $41.82

-42.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.12 $1.12

41.07%

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

$33.4K $33.4K

$35.5K $35.5K

-5.80%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.96%

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

$248 $248

$219 $219

13.41%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$73.2 $73.2

-19.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 $64.4

$72.0 $72.0

-10.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.90 $34.90

$123 $123

-71.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.33 $35.33

$67.7 $67.7

-47.79%

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 $12.21

$22.85 $22.85

-46.56%

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

$3,835 $3,835

$3,333 $3,333

15.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K $15.2K

$60.0K $60.0K

-74.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.04 $31.04

$75.2 $75.2

-58.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.98 $33.98

$52.4 $52.4

-35.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$122 $122

-41.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$133 $133

6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,169 $3,169

$4,389 $4,389

-27.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,907 $2,907

$3,130 $3,130

-7.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,545 $5,545

$8,918 $8,918

-37.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,978 $4,978

$5,354 $5,354

-7.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,747 $8,747

$19.4K $19.4K

-54.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,647 $8,647

$6,806 $6,806

27.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,199 $5,199

$5,343 $5,343

-2.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.82

-7.18%

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

Last update for Pasadena, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pasadena, CA

$2.9K 68%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 7.6% $222

Groceries & Markets

Pasadena, CA

$407 9.5%

New York, NY

$545 11% 33.9% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasadena, CA

$372 8.7%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 2.1% $7.7

Eating Out

Pasadena, CA

$282 6.6%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 42.9% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Pasadena, CA

$125 2.9%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 37.6% $47

Getting Around

Pasadena, CA

$123 2.9%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 35.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Pasadena, CA

$59 1.4%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 184% $109

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,169 in Pasadena, CA versus $4,389 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 3% 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 Pasadena, CA versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $545 – making Pasadena, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pasadena, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

18:14 6:14 PM

3 h ahead of Pasadena, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,122

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pasadena, CA New York, NY 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Pasadena, CA
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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

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

New York, NY costs about 16% more than Pasadena, 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 $6,414 per month in Pasadena, CA and $7,424 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 Pasadena, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,835 per month in Pasadena, CA and $3,333 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 34% 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.

$5,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,276 in Pasadena, CA and $4,950 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. Pasadena, CA costs $4,276 versus $4,950 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 Pasadena, 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.