Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Monica, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Monica, CA: $4,430 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

214

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
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Santa Monica, 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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Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,430 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $4,430
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $6,581 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $6,581
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $8,732 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $8,732
New York, NY $9,581

Santa Monica, CA is about 11% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santa Monica, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Santa Monica, CA by 228%, New York, NY by 267%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.77 $26.77

$24.65 $24.65

8.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$122 $122

-2.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.91 $13.91

6.97%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$6.59 $6.59

-10.02%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$3.84 $3.84

-15.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.87 $2.87

-16.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.79 $7.79

4.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$9.85 $9.85

1.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.38 $1.38

-2.90%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.68 $4.68

-2.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$7.54 $7.54

-38.33%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$5.93 $5.93

-3.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.77 $15.77

$18.83 $18.83

-16.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$17.36 $17.36

-18.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 $19.80

$18.51 $18.51

6.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$6.74 $6.74

-29.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.09 $2.09

9.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$6.07 $6.07

-34.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$6.74 $6.74

-19.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.05 $4.05

-18.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$4.37 $4.37

-35.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.89 $2.89

-25.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.60 $2.60

-4.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$18.72 $18.72

-38.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$20.06 $20.06

-23.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.25 $3.25

-25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.73 $3.73

-17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.06 $3.06

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 $67.0

$140 $140

-52.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.04 $3.04

3.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.15 $2.15

-11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 $32.68

$41.82 $41.82

-21.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.12 $1.12

29.46%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$35.5K $35.5K

3.80%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.80%

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

$218 $218

$219 $219

-0.55%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$73.2 $73.2

-36.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$72.0 $72.0

-9.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 $70.7

$123 $123

-42.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

$67.7 $67.7

-34.82%

Cinema Ticket

$19.36 $19.36

$22.85 $22.85

-15.27%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$3,333 $3,333

-49.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K $32.5K

$60.0K $60.0K

-45.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 $88.9

$75.2 $75.2

18.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 $54.8

$52.4 $52.4

4.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$122 $122

-14.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$133 $133

-8.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,328 $3,328

$4,389 $4,389

-24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$3,130 $3,130

-8.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,804 $5,804

$8,918 $8,918

-34.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 $5,048

$5,354 $5,354

-5.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$19.4K $19.4K

-44.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,924 $7,924

$6,806 $6,806

16.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,900 $6,900

$5,343 $5,343

29.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.82

-2.93%

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

Last update for Santa Monica, 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

Santa Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 9.4% $269

Groceries & Markets

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4%

New York, NY

$545 11% 18.1% $83

Eating Out

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 2.3% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 10.6% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 3.6% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 53.9% $59

Getting Around

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 85.5% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,328 in Santa Monica, 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 29% higher in Santa Monica, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, CA versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $462 vs $545 – making Santa Monica, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

20:16 8:16 PM

3 h ahead of Santa Monica, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,736

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Santa Monica, CA New York, NY 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Monica, CA
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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

Santa Monica, CA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 12% more than Santa Monica, 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 $6,645 per month in Santa Monica, 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 Santa Monica, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,694 per month in Santa Monica, 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.

Groceries cost about 18% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$4,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,430 in Santa Monica, 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. Santa Monica, CA costs $4,430 versus $4,950 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 Santa Monica, 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.