Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in San Rafael: $1,318 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $45,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index
245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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San Rafael

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,318

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,318 per month in San Rafael vs $5,142 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Rafael $1,318
New York, NY $5,142

A couple spends around $2,096 per month in San Rafael vs $7,455 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Rafael $2,096
New York, NY $7,455

A family of three spends $2,875 per month in San Rafael vs $9,767 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Rafael $2,875
New York, NY $9,767

San Rafael is about 74% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Rafael sits 2% below the global median, while New York, NY is 284% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.20 ARS 17.0K

$26.46 $26.46

-57.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.65 ARS 75.3K

$119 $119

-58.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.69 ARS 22.3K

$14.43 $14.43

1.80%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ARS 6,580

$6.55 $6.55

-33.74%

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

$2.42 ARS 3,663

$3.84 $3.84

-36.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ARS 3,006

$3.00 $3.00

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 ARS 5,969

$8.27 $8.27

-52.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ARS 6,701

$10.05 $10.05

-56.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 ARS 2,046

$1.31 $1.31

3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 ARS 3,435

$4.90 $4.90

-53.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 ARS 4,052

$7.16 $7.16

-62.71%

Eggs

$3.18 ARS 4,820

$5.92 $5.92

-46.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.56 ARS 22.1K

$19.06 $19.06

-23.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 ARS 9,418

$17.38 $17.38

-64.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ARS 16.9K

$18.94 $18.94

-41.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ARS 3,604

$6.96 $6.96

-65.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ARS 3,347

$2.08 $2.08

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ARS 2,048

$6.10 $6.10

-77.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 ARS 5,012

$6.95 $6.95

-52.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 3,055

$3.98 $3.98

-49.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,203

$4.44 $4.44

-67.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 ARS 2,935

$2.81 $2.81

-30.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ARS 3,725

$2.51 $2.51

-1.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ARS 4,279

$19.27 $19.27

-85.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.05 ARS 7,656

$19.67 $19.67

-74.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,625

$3.08 $3.08

-43.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ARS 4,619

$3.68 $3.68

-17.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ARS 1,513

$3.02 $3.02

-66.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ARS 2,966

$3.07 $3.07

-36.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,540

$2.13 $2.13

-52.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ARS 7,412

$41.21 $41.21

-88.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,929

$1.11 $1.11

14.41%

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

$26.6K ARS 40.4M

$35.0K $35.0K

-23.85%

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

$32.6K ARS 49.4M

$25.4K $25.4K

28.30%

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

$135 ARS 205.3K

$217 $217

-37.76%

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

$17.43 ARS 26.4K

$74.0 $74.0

-76.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.44 ARS 35.6K

$72.5 $72.5

-67.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 ARS 47.3K

$120 $120

-74.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 ARS 10.5K

$22.32 $22.32

-69.04%

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

$177 ARS 268.1K

$3,425 $3,425

-94.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,090 ARS 6.2M

$61.2K $61.2K

-93.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 ARS 175.9K

$76.3 $76.3

52.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$125 ARS 188.9K

$55.5 $55.5

124.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 ARS 206.8K

$119 $119

14.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ARS 189.8K

$131 $131

-4.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ARS 740.9K

$4,506 $4,506

-89.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 ARS 482.7K

$3,155 $3,155

-89.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 ARS 1.4M

$8,817 $8,817

-89.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 ARS 1.1M

$5,532 $5,532

-86.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

765.10%

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

Last update for San Rafael: October 5, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael

$318 24.6%

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2% 891% $2.8K

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael

$286 22.1%

New York, NY

$546 11% 91.1% $260

Eating Out

San Rafael

$232 17.9%

New York, NY

$422 8.5% 82.1% $190

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael

$226 17.5%

New York, NY

$172 3.4% 24% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael

$176 13.6%

New York, NY

$364 7.3% 107% $188

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael

$45 3.5%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 267% $120

Getting Around

San Rafael

$11 * 0.9%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 1400% $154

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in San Rafael versus $4,506 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 $50.0 in San Rafael versus $119 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $546 – making San Rafael the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 San Rafael

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

09:54 9:54 AM

1 h behind San Rafael

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,850

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Rafael New York, NY 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 290% more than San Rafael, 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 $1,978 per month in San Rafael and $7,714 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 Rafael, 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 $1,318 in San Rafael and $5,142 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 290%.

Kindergarten costs $177 per month in San Rafael and $3,425 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Rafael, where all-in costs run around $1,318, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In San Rafael it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Rafael costs $1,318 versus $5,142 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 San Rafael. 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.