Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacoma, WA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacoma, WA: $3,008 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Tacoma, WA
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Tacoma, WA Living Index
239

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

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Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,008

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,008 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $3,008
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $4,371 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $4,371
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $5,735 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $5,735
New York, NY $9,509

Tacoma, WA is about 39% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Tacoma, WA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Tacoma, WA by 121%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.28 $25.28

$28.55 $28.55

-11.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 $80.9

$118 $118

-31.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$15.04 $15.04

-19.28%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$6.53 $6.53

-14.09%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$3.96 $3.96

-21.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.01 $3.01

-12.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$8.16 $8.16

-14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$9.84 $9.84

-29.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.37 $1.37

-19.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.97 $4.97

-15.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$7.81 $7.81

-25.35%

Eggs

$5.69 $5.69

$5.97 $5.97

-4.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 $15.85

$18.91 $18.91

-16.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$18.04 $18.04

-11.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.45 $23.45

$19.05 $19.05

23.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$6.76 $6.76

-26.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.27 $2.27

-23.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$6.83 $6.83

-36.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$7.09 $7.09

-36.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$4.22 $4.22

-36.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$4.65 $4.65

-36.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.87 $2.87

-39.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.60 $2.60

25.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.05 $12.05

$18.77 $18.77

-35.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 $18.35

$20.13 $20.13

-8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.45 $3.45

-48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.02 $4.02

24.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.91 $2.91

-30.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.6 $62.6

$139 $139

-54.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.08 $3.08

-17.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.12 $2.12

-20.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.77 $29.77

$41.96 $41.96

-29.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.17 $1.17

12.82%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.5K $34.5K

-18.10%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

4.99%

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

$230 $230

$219 $219

5.04%

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

$91.1 $91.1

$74.2 $74.2

22.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.7 $86.7

$70.2 $70.2

23.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.12 $36.12

$112 $112

-67.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 $18.09

$74.9 $74.9

-75.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.97 $13.97

$22.14 $22.14

-36.90%

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

$2,085 $2,085

$3,558 $3,558

-41.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K $32.6K

$62.2K $62.2K

-47.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 $61.9

$75.6 $75.6

-18.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.73 $44.73

$51.2 $51.2

-12.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 $86.3

$123 $123

-29.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$140 $140

-7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 $1,735

$4,499 $4,499

-61.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$3,078 $3,078

-53.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 $2,699

$9,447 $9,447

-71.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 $2,309

$5,190 $5,190

-55.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,794 $4,794

$18.1K $18.1K

-73.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,251 $3,251

$6,693 $6,693

-51.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,927 $4,927

$5,220 $5,220

-5.61%

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 Tacoma, WA: October 26, 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

Tacoma, WA

$1.4K 48%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 113% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Tacoma, WA

$487 16.2%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 15.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacoma, WA

$408 13.6%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 10.9% $44

Eating Out

Tacoma, WA

$378 12.6%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 16.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Tacoma, WA

$145 4.8%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 20.8% $30

Getting Around

Tacoma, WA

$82 2.7%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 101% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Tacoma, WA

$64 2.1%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 144% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,735 in Tacoma, WA 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 6% 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 $81 in Tacoma, WA versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $487 vs $563 – making Tacoma, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

3 h ahead of Tacoma, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,346

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tacoma, WA New York, NY 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tacoma, WA
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

Tacoma, WA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 64% more than Tacoma, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,512 per month in Tacoma, WA 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 Tacoma, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,735 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $2,085 per month in Tacoma, WA 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 16% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,008 in Tacoma, WA and $4,941 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. Tacoma, WA costs $3,008 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Tacoma, WA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.