Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Mateo, CA: $4,607 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

223

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

🇺🇸 United States

$4,607

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,607 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $4,607
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $6,460 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $6,460
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $8,313 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $8,313
New York, NY $9,509

San Mateo, CA is about 7% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Mateo, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – San Mateo, CA by 238%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 $20.32

$28.55 $28.55

-28.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$118 $118

-14.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 $12.89

$15.04 $15.04

-14.30%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$6.53 $6.53

-11.18%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$3.96 $3.96

-23.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.01 $3.01

-6.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.35 $8.35

$8.16 $8.16

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.14 $10.14

$9.84 $9.84

3.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.37 $1.37

19.71%

White Bread (500g)

$5.95 $5.95

$4.97 $4.97

19.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$7.81 $7.81

-20.23%

Eggs

$7.45 $7.45

$5.97 $5.97

24.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 $13.58

$18.91 $18.91

-28.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.53 $18.53

$18.04 $18.04

2.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.67 $19.67

$19.05 $19.05

3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$6.76 $6.76

-12.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.27 $2.27

-0.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.83 $6.83

-40.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$7.09 $7.09

20.73%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.22 $4.22

3.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$4.65 $4.65

-31.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.87 $2.87

5.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.60 $2.60

-25.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$18.77 $18.77

-37.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.52 $14.52

$20.13 $20.13

-27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.45 $3.45

-50.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$4.02 $4.02

-50.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.91 $2.91

-24.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$139 $139

-53.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 $4.24

$3.08 $3.08

37.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.12 $2.12

-3.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.17 $1.17

32.48%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$34.5K $34.5K

-20.39%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.33%

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

$268 $268

$219 $219

21.99%

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

$41.40 $41.40

$74.2 $74.2

-44.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$70.2 $70.2

-13.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 $81.3

$112 $112

-27.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.60 $9.60

$74.9 $74.9

-87.18%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$22.14 $22.14

-19.60%

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

$3,045 $3,045

$3,558 $3,558

-14.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K $28.6K

$62.2K $62.2K

-53.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 $62.0

$75.6 $75.6

-17.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.94 $45.94

$51.2 $51.2

-10.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$123 $123

-3.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$140 $140

-2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,414 $3,414

$4,499 $4,499

-24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,991 $2,991

$3,078 $3,078

-2.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,766 $5,766

$9,447 $9,447

-38.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,683 $4,683

$5,190 $5,190

-9.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,613 $9,613

$18.1K $18.1K

-46.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,493 $8,493

$6,693 $6,693

26.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,661 $7,661

$5,220 $5,220

46.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.86

-4.81%

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

Last update for San Mateo, 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 Mateo, CA

$3K 64.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 2.9% $87

Groceries & Markets

San Mateo, CA

$522 11.3%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 8% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Mateo, CA

$370 8%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 1.6% $6.1

Eating Out

San Mateo, CA

$356 7.7%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 23.6% $84

Clothing & Footwear

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.6%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 7.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

San Mateo, CA

$117 2.5%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 33.7% $39

Getting Around

San Mateo, CA

$88 1.9%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 86.6% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,414 in San Mateo, 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 47% higher in San Mateo, 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 $101 in San Mateo, CA versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $522 vs $563 – making San Mateo, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

11:34 11:34 AM

3 h ahead of San Mateo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,536

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Mateo, CA New York, NY 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 7% more than San Mateo, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,910 per month in San Mateo, 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 Mateo, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $3,414 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,045 per month in San Mateo, 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 8% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Mateo, CA costs $4,607 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, San Mateo, CA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 7% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.