Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Staten Island, NY and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Staten Island, NY: $2,998 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Staten Island, NY
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Staten Island, NY Living Index
239

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

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Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,998

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,998 per month in Staten Island, NY vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Staten Island, NY $2,998
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $4,498 per month in Staten Island, NY vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Staten Island, NY $4,498
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $5,998 per month in Staten Island, NY vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Staten Island, NY $5,998
New York, NY $9,608

Staten Island, NY is about 39% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Staten Island, NY and New York, NY sit above the global median – Staten Island, NY by 121%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.72 $23.72

$24.99 $24.99

-5.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.8 $88.8

$120 $120

-26.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 $13.47

$13.74 $13.74

-1.97%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$6.60 $6.60

-0.91%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$3.82 $3.82

-30.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.87 $2.87

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$7.95 $7.95

-1.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$10.06 $10.06

-18.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.37 $1.37

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.75 $4.75

3.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$7.69 $7.69

-12.09%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$5.87 $5.87

-0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.44 $17.44

$19.25 $19.25

-9.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$17.83 $17.83

-21.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.21 $19.21

$19.03 $19.03

0.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$6.69 $6.69

1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.29 $2.29

52.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$6.41 $6.41

-4.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$6.75 $6.75

0.89%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.93 $3.93

4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$4.52 $4.52

-4.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.79 $2.79

-0.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.51 $2.51

13.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.80 $17.80

$18.10 $18.10

-1.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$20.16 $20.16

-26.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.26 $3.26

-46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$3.75 $3.75

-2.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.92 $2.92

2.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.06 $3.06

-1.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.16 $2.16

2.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.69 $42.69

$41.33 $41.33

3.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.12 $1.12

2.68%

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

$32.6K $32.6K

$33.1K $33.1K

-1.70%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

2.19%

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

$213 $213

$219 $219

-2.74%

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

$75.0 $75.0

$75.3 $75.3

-0.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$70.5 $70.5

-8.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$116 $116

-0.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$20.36 $20.36

$21.37 $21.37

-4.73%

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

$2,001 $2,001

$3,432 $3,432

-41.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$61.7K $61.7K

-73.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 $71.9

$74.9 $74.9

-4.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.12 $37.12

$52.1 $52.1

-28.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$117 $117

-12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$135 $135

-21.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 $1,851

$4,347 $4,347

-57.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$3,117 $3,117

-54.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,379 $3,379

$9,110 $9,110

-62.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 $2,470

$5,379 $5,379

-54.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,817 $6,817

$5,238 $5,238

30.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.85

-0.73%

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

Last update for Staten Island, NY: October 19, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Staten Island, NY

$1.4K 47.5%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 119% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Staten Island, NY

$517 17.3%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 6.8% $35

Eating Out

Staten Island, NY

$381 12.7%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 6.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Staten Island, NY

$352 11.8%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 3.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Staten Island, NY

$156 5.2%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 1.8% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Staten Island, NY

$143 4.8%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 19.3% $28

Getting Around

Staten Island, NY

$26 * 0.9%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 547% $142

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,851 in Staten Island, NY versus $4,347 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 30% higher in Staten Island, NY, 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 $89.0 in Staten Island, NY versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $517 vs $552 – making Staten Island, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

Same time as Staten Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,747

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Staten Island, NY New York, NY 8 km

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Staten Island, NY
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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

Staten Island, NY vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 65% more than Staten Island, NY, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,497 per month in Staten Island, NY and $7,407 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 Staten Island, NY, 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 $2,998 in Staten Island, NY and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 65%.

Kindergarten costs $2,001 per month in Staten Island, NY and $3,432 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,998 in Staten Island, NY and $4,938 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. Staten Island, NY costs $2,998 versus $4,938 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 Staten Island, NY. 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.