Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between River Falls, WI and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in River Falls, WI: $2,515 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in River Falls, WI
Learn more

River Falls, WI Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

River Falls, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,515 per month in River Falls, WI vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

River Falls, WI $2,515
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $3,887 per month in River Falls, WI vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

River Falls, WI $3,887
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $5,259 per month in River Falls, WI vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

River Falls, WI $5,259
New York, NY $9,608

River Falls, WI is about 49% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both River Falls, WI and New York, NY sit above the global median – River Falls, WI by 86%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.17 $22.17

$24.99 $24.99

-11.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.0 $82.0

$120 $120

-31.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$13.74 $13.74

-13.32%

Cappuccino

$6.49 $6.49

$6.60 $6.60

-1.67%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$3.82 $3.82

-19.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.87 $2.87

-17.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$7.95 $7.95

-12.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$10.06 $10.06

-19.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.37 $1.37

-39.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$4.75 $4.75

-22.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$7.69 $7.69

-13.13%

Eggs

$3.76 $3.76

$5.87 $5.87

-35.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$19.25 $19.25

-46.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.48 $13.48

$17.83 $17.83

-24.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 $18.96

$19.03 $19.03

-0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$6.69 $6.69

-11.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.29 $2.29

-18.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.71 $6.71

$6.41 $6.41

4.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$6.75 $6.75

-24.59%

Potato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.93 $3.93

10.43%

Onion (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.52 $4.52

-9.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.79 $2.79

-16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.51 $2.51

5.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 $12.72

$18.10 $18.10

-29.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.82 $15.82

$20.16 $20.16

-21.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.26 $3.26

-15.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 $5.57

$3.75 $3.75

48.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.92 $2.92

-28.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.06 $3.06

59.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.16 $2.16

-18.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.56 $23.56

$41.33 $41.33

-43.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.12 $1.12

-8.04%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$33.1K $33.1K

-8.48%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.7K $25.7K

1.10%

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

$181 $181

$219 $219

-17.61%

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

$54.8 $54.8

$75.3 $75.3

-27.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$70.5 $70.5

-0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 $39.56

$116 $116

-65.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$16.10 $16.10

$21.37 $21.37

-24.66%

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

$1,365 $1,365

$3,432 $3,432

-60.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.8K $36.8K

$61.7K $61.7K

-40.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 $56.8

$74.9 $74.9

-24.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 $43.63

$52.1 $52.1

-16.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 $98.8

$117 $117

-15.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$135 $135

-22.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 $1,534

$4,347 $4,347

-64.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 $1,161

$3,117 $3,117

-62.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,835 $2,835

$9,110 $9,110

-68.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,226 $2,226

$5,379 $5,379

-58.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,548 $2,548

$19.3K $19.3K

-86.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,038 $2,038

$6,943 $6,943

-70.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.85

-2.77%

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

Last update for River Falls, WI: October 18, 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

River Falls, WI

$1.2K 46.2%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 168% $2K

Groceries & Markets

River Falls, WI

$454 18%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 21.8% $99

Eating Out

River Falls, WI

$364 14.5%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 11.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

River Falls, WI

$306 12.2%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 19.4% $59

Clothing & Footwear

River Falls, WI

$137 5.4%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 24.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

River Falls, WI

$72 2.9%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 121% $86

Getting Around

River Falls, WI

$22 * 0.9%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 665% $146

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,534 in River Falls, WI 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 $82.0 in River Falls, WI versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $454 vs $552 – making River Falls, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 River Falls, WI

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

00:49 12:49 AM

1 h ahead of River Falls, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,618

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

River Falls, WI New York, NY 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

River Falls, WI
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

River Falls, WI vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 96% more than River Falls, WI, 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 $3,772 per month in River Falls, WI 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 River Falls, WI, 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 $2,515 in River Falls, WI and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 96%.

Kindergarten costs $1,365 per month in River Falls, WI 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.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,515 in River Falls, WI and $4,938 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. River Falls, WI costs $2,515 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with River Falls, WI. 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.