Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerville, MA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerville, MA: $4,027 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in Somerville, MA
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Somerville, MA Living Index
239

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

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Somerville, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,027

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,027 per month in Somerville, MA vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Somerville, MA $4,027
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $5,485 per month in Somerville, MA vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Somerville, MA $5,485
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $6,943 per month in Somerville, MA vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Somerville, MA $6,943
New York, NY $9,509

Somerville, MA is about 19% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Somerville, MA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Somerville, MA by 196%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$28.55 $28.55

-12.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 $94.6

$118 $118

-20.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.42 $13.42

$15.04 $15.04

-10.77%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$6.53 $6.53

-17.92%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$3.96 $3.96

-24.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.01 $3.01

-26.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 $8.12

$8.16 $8.16

-0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.74 $8.74

$9.84 $9.84

-11.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.37 $1.37

-23.36%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.97 $4.97

-18.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$7.81 $7.81

-29.45%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$5.97 $5.97

-20.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.55 $15.55

$18.91 $18.91

-17.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.33 $14.33

$18.04 $18.04

-20.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$19.05 $19.05

-5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.86 $6.86

$6.76 $6.76

1.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.27 $2.27

-8.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$6.83 $6.83

-18.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$7.09 $7.09

-4.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$4.22 $4.22

-48.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$4.65 $4.65

-53.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.87 $2.87

1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.60 $2.60

15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.40 $13.40

$18.77 $18.77

-28.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.64 $15.64

$20.13 $20.13

-22.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$3.45 $3.45

-39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.02 $4.02

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.91 $2.91

-15.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.1 $90.1

$139 $139

-35.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.08 $3.08

-14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.12 $2.12

-17.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.45 $27.45

$41.96 $41.96

-34.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.17 $1.17

-11.11%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$34.5K $34.5K

-14.17%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.21%

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

$239 $239

$219 $219

9.05%

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

$76.0 $76.0

$74.2 $74.2

2.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 $76.2

$70.2 $70.2

8.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$118 $118

$112 $112

5.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 $15.71

$22.14 $22.14

-29.04%

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

$1,841 $1,841

$3,558 $3,558

-48.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$62.2K $62.2K

-50.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.22 $48.22

$75.6 $75.6

-36.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.42 $38.42

$51.2 $51.2

-24.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$123 $123

-16.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$140 $140

8.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,198 $3,198

$4,499 $4,499

-28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 $2,362

$3,078 $3,078

-23.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,247 $6,247

$9,447 $9,447

-33.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,271 $3,271

$5,190 $5,190

-36.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,711 $9,711

$18.1K $18.1K

-46.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,624 $6,624

$6,693 $6,693

-1.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,470 $5,470

$5,220 $5,220

4.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.86

-3.21%

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

Last update for Somerville, MA: October 25, 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

Somerville, MA

$2.4K 58.7%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 30.3% $717

Groceries & Markets

Somerville, MA

$475 11.8%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 18.5% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerville, MA

$391 9.7%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 7% $28

Eating Out

Somerville, MA

$384 9.5%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 14.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Somerville, MA

$153 3.8%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 14.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Somerville, MA

$149 3.7%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 4.6% $6.9

Getting Around

Somerville, MA

$111 2.8%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 47.7% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,198 in Somerville, MA 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 5% higher in Somerville, MA, 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 $95 in Somerville, MA versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $475 vs $563 – making Somerville, MA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Somerville, MA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

Same time as Somerville, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,754

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Somerville, MA New York, NY 320 km

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Somerville, MA
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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

Somerville, MA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 23% more than Somerville, MA, 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 $6,040 per month in Somerville, MA 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 Somerville, MA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $3,198 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $1,841 per month in Somerville, MA 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 18% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Somerville, MA costs $4,027 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, Somerville, MA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 19% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.