Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Leandro, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in San Leandro, CA: $3,483 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in San Leandro, CA
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San Leandro, 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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San Leandro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,483

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,483 per month in San Leandro, CA vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Leandro, CA $3,483
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $5,059 per month in San Leandro, CA vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Leandro, CA $5,059
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $6,634 per month in San Leandro, CA vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Leandro, CA $6,634
New York, NY $9,509

San Leandro, CA is about 30% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Leandro, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – San Leandro, CA by 156%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.50 $25.50

$28.55 $28.55

-10.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$118 $118

-6.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.84 $14.84

$15.04 $15.04

-1.33%

Cappuccino

$6.10 $6.10

$6.53 $6.53

-6.58%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.96 $3.96

-18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.01 $3.01

-7.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$8.16 $8.16

-3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.84 $9.84

-10.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.37 $1.37

28.47%

White Bread (500g)

$5.24 $5.24

$4.97 $4.97

5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$7.81 $7.81

-37.77%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$5.97 $5.97

-2.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.22 $15.22

$18.91 $18.91

-19.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 $13.05

$18.04 $18.04

-27.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.80 $22.80

$19.05 $19.05

19.69%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$6.76 $6.76

-10.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.27 $2.27

-32.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$6.83 $6.83

-35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$7.09 $7.09

-8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$4.22 $4.22

-28.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$4.65 $4.65

-41.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.87 $2.87

-29.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.60 $2.60

-23.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$18.77 $18.77

-36.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 $14.36

$20.13 $20.13

-28.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$3.45 $3.45

-49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$4.02 $4.02

-7.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.70 $5.70

$2.91 $2.91

95.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 $97.6

$139 $139

-29.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 $4.23

$3.08 $3.08

37.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.12 $2.12

-5.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.81 $38.81

$41.96 $41.96

-7.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.17 $1.17

33.33%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.5K $34.5K

-21.06%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.32%

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

$240 $240

$219 $219

9.56%

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

$50.9 $50.9

$74.2 $74.2

-31.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 $77.0

$70.2 $70.2

9.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.58 $49.58

$112 $112

-55.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 $16.03

$22.14 $22.14

-27.60%

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

$2,923 $2,923

$3,558 $3,558

-17.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.1K $43.1K

$62.2K $62.2K

-30.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$75.6 $75.6

-12.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 $39.43

$51.2 $51.2

-22.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$123 $123

-28.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$140 $140

-13.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,357 $2,357

$4,499 $4,499

-47.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 $1,882

$3,078 $3,078

-38.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,652 $3,652

$9,447 $9,447

-61.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 $2,985

$5,190 $5,190

-42.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,091 $5,091

$18.1K $18.1K

-71.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,028 $4,028

$6,693 $6,693

-39.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,390 $5,390

$5,220 $5,220

3.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.86

-1.46%

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

Last update for San Leandro, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Leandro, CA

$1.9K 54%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 63.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

San Leandro, CA

$473 13.6%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 19.1% $90

Eating Out

San Leandro, CA

$403 11.6%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 9.3% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Leandro, CA

$368 10.6%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 1.2% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

San Leandro, CA

$142 4.1%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 23.8% $34

Getting Around

San Leandro, CA

$135 3.9%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 22% $30

Sport & Entertainment

San Leandro, CA

$82 2.3%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 91.3% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,357 in San Leandro, CA versus $4,499 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 San Leandro, 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 $111 in San Leandro, CA versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $473 vs $563 – making San Leandro, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Leandro, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

19:14 7:14 PM

3 h ahead of San Leandro, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,815

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Leandro, CA New York, NY 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Leandro, 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

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

New York, NY costs about 42% more than San Leandro, 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 $5,225 per month in San Leandro, CA and $7,412 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 San Leandro, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,357 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $2,923 per month in San Leandro, CA and $3,558 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 19% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,483 in San Leandro, CA and $4,941 in New York, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward San Leandro, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, San Leandro, CA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.