Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surprise, AZ and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Surprise, AZ: $1,301 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $43,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Surprise, AZ
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Surprise, AZ Living Index
239

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

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Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,301

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,301 per month in Surprise, AZ vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Surprise, AZ $1,301
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $3,613 per month in Surprise, AZ vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Surprise, AZ $3,613
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $5,926 per month in Surprise, AZ vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Surprise, AZ $5,926
New York, NY $9,608

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

Surprise, AZ sits 4% below the global median, while New York, NY is 264% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.11 $20.11

$24.99 $24.99

-19.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 $86.5

$120 $120

-28.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.74 $13.74

-4.44%

Cappuccino

$6.18 $6.18

$6.60 $6.60

-6.36%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$3.82 $3.82

-27.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.87 $2.87

-14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 $6.82

$7.95 $7.95

-14.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$10.06 $10.06

-19.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.37 $1.37

-25.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$4.75 $4.75

-22.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$7.69 $7.69

-33.03%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$5.87 $5.87

-19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$19.25 $19.25

-30.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 $11.35

$17.83 $17.83

-36.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 $14.86

$19.03 $19.03

-21.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$6.69 $6.69

-30.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.29 $2.29

-14.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$6.41 $6.41

-38.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.75 $6.75

-38.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.93 $3.93

-37.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$4.52 $4.52

-36.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.79 $2.79

-24.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.51 $2.51

-16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 $10.84

$18.10 $18.10

-40.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 $13.46

$20.16 $20.16

-33.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.26 $3.26

-25.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.75 $3.75

-13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.06 $3.06

-9.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.16 $2.16

-37.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.40 $36.40

$41.33 $41.33

-11.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$33.1K $33.1K

9.01%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.7K $25.7K

0.68%

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

$195 $195

$219 $219

-11.30%

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

$61.5 $61.5

$75.3 $75.3

-18.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 $73.7

$70.5 $70.5

4.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 $59.7

$116 $116

-48.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 $13.17

$21.37 $21.37

-38.37%

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

$1,121 $1,121

$3,432 $3,432

-67.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$61.7K $61.7K

-74.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$74.9 $74.9

-27.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 $43.66

$52.1 $52.1

-16.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 $97.3

$117 $117

-16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$135 $135

-15.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$9,110 $9,110

-76.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,013 $3,013

$5,379 $5,379

-43.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,645 $1,645

$6,943 $6,943

-76.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,368 $4,368

$5,238 $5,238

-16.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

6.85

-5.99%

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

Last update for Surprise, AZ: October 17, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surprise, AZ

$391 30.1%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 41.1% $161

Eating Out

Surprise, AZ

$346 26.6%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 17.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surprise, AZ

$330 25.3%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 10.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Surprise, AZ

$139 10.7%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 22.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Surprise, AZ

$86 6.6%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 84% $72

Getting Around

Surprise, AZ

$9.6 * 0.7%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 1656% $159

Accommodation & Living

Surprise, AZ

- * 0%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 20% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Surprise, AZ versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $552 – making Surprise, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

03:37 3:37 AM

3 h ahead of Surprise, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,148

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Surprise, AZ New York, NY 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Surprise, AZ
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

Surprise, AZ vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 279% more than Surprise, AZ, 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 $1,952 per month in Surprise, AZ and $7,407 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,301 in Surprise, AZ and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 279%.

Kindergarten costs $1,121 per month in Surprise, AZ 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surprise, AZ, where all-in costs run around $1,301, than in New York, NY at $4,938. In Surprise, AZ 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. Surprise, AZ costs $1,301 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Surprise, AZ. 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.