Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redwood City, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Redwood City, CA: $4,197 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Redwood City, CA
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Redwood City, 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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Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,197 per month in Redwood City, CA vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Redwood City, CA $4,197
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $6,241 per month in Redwood City, CA vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Redwood City, CA $6,241
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $8,286 per month in Redwood City, CA vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Redwood City, CA $8,286
New York, NY $9,581

Redwood City, CA is about 15% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Redwood City, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Redwood City, CA by 211%, New York, NY by 267%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$24.65 $24.65

1.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 $110

$122 $122

-9.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.44 $13.44

$13.91 $13.91

-3.38%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$6.59 $6.59

-14.42%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.84 $3.84

-15.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.87 $2.87

-7.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 $8.20

$7.79 $7.79

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.87 $8.87

$9.85 $9.85

-9.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.38 $1.38

10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$5.37 $5.37

$4.68 $4.68

14.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$7.54 $7.54

-35.54%

Eggs

$7.74 $7.74

$5.93 $5.93

30.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.07 $15.07

$18.83 $18.83

-19.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$17.36 $17.36

-38.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 $19.61

$18.51 $18.51

5.94%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$6.74 $6.74

-7.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.09 $2.09

36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$6.07 $6.07

-26.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$6.74 $6.74

-7.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$4.05 $4.05

-26.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$4.37 $4.37

-16.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.89 $2.89

-3.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.60 $2.60

0.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$18.72 $18.72

-36.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 $20.28

$20.06 $20.06

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.25 $3.25

-18.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.73 $3.73

-8.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.06 $3.06

56.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 $4.25

$3.04 $3.04

39.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.15 $2.15

-43.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.38 $38.38

$41.82 $41.82

-8.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.12 $1.12

40.18%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$35.5K $35.5K

5.54%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.0K $26.0K

1.91%

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

$237 $237

$219 $219

8.29%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$73.2 $73.2

-26.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$72.0 $72.0

-3.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$239 $239

$123 $123

94.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.93 $29.93

$67.7 $67.7

-55.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 $17.91

$22.85 $22.85

-21.62%

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

$2,907 $2,907

$3,333 $3,333

-12.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.0K $43.0K

$60.0K $60.0K

-28.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.86 $45.86

$75.2 $75.2

-39.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.04 $25.04

$52.4 $52.4

-52.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 $98.8

$122 $122

-18.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$133 $133

-14.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,248 $4,248

$4,389 $4,389

-3.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$3,130 $3,130

-19.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,692 $5,692

$8,918 $8,918

-36.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,469 $4,469

$5,354 $5,354

-16.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,008 $8,008

$5,343 $5,343

49.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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

Last update for Redwood City, CA: October 10, 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

Redwood City, CA

$2.5K 60.1%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 24.2% $609

Groceries & Markets

Redwood City, CA

$493 11.8%

New York, NY

$545 11% 10.5% $52

Eating Out

Redwood City, CA

$390 9.3%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 3.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Redwood City, CA

$360 8.6%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 1.1% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Redwood City, CA

$275 6.6%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 38.7% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Redwood City, CA

$128 3%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 34.8% $44

Getting Around

Redwood City, CA

$29 * 0.7%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 466% $137

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,248 in Redwood City, 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 50% higher in Redwood City, CA, 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 $110 in Redwood City, CA versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $493 vs $545 – making Redwood City, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

19:25 7:25 PM

22:25 10:25 PM

3 h ahead of Redwood City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,314

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

Redwood City, CA New York, NY 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Redwood City, 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

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

New York, NY costs about 18% more than Redwood City, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,295 per month in Redwood City, 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 Redwood City, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,197 in Redwood City, CA and $4,950 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 18%.

Kindergarten costs $2,907 per month in Redwood City, 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.

$5,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,197 in Redwood City, 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. Redwood City, CA costs $4,197 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 Redwood City, 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.