Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Tempe, AZ: $2,880 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Tempe, AZ
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Tempe, 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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Tempe, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,880

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,880 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $2,880
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $3,836 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $3,836
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $4,792 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $4,792
New York, NY $9,581

Tempe, AZ is about 42% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tempe, AZ and New York, NY sit above the global median – Tempe, AZ by 113%, New York, NY by 267%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 $19.77

$24.65 $24.65

-19.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$122 $122

-32.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$13.91 $13.91

-5.32%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$6.59 $6.59

-20.33%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$3.84 $3.84

-19.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.87 $2.87

-14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 $6.01

$7.79 $7.79

-22.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$9.85 $9.85

-27.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.38 $1.38

-29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.68 $4.68

-10.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$7.54 $7.54

-17.90%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$5.93 $5.93

-21.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$18.83 $18.83

-27.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$17.36 $17.36

-22.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$18.51 $18.51

-6.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$6.74 $6.74

-20.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.09 $2.09

-5.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$6.07 $6.07

-32.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$6.74 $6.74

-26.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$4.05 $4.05

-37.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$4.37 $4.37

-31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.89 $2.89

-23.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.60 $2.60

-12.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$18.72 $18.72

-41.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$20.06 $20.06

-31.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.25 $3.25

-25.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.73 $3.73

-15.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.06 $3.06

-36.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

$140 $140

-54.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.04 $3.04

-6.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$2.15 $2.15

-36.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.42 $35.42

$41.82 $41.82

-15.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.12 $1.12

4.46%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

3.63%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.02%

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

$240 $240

$219 $219

9.76%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$73.2 $73.2

-16.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$72.0 $72.0

8.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 $30.16

$123 $123

-75.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.16 $15.16

$67.7 $67.7

-77.60%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 $13.80

$22.85 $22.85

-39.61%

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

$1,107 $1,107

$3,333 $3,333

-66.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$60.0K $60.0K

-74.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 $62.6

$75.2 $75.2

-16.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.61 $44.61

$52.4 $52.4

-14.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 $98.4

$122 $122

-19.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$133 $133

-15.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 $1,894

$4,389 $4,389

-56.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$3,130 $3,130

-53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$8,918 $8,918

-71.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 $1,683

$5,354 $5,354

-68.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,960 $3,960

$5,343 $5,343

-25.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.82

-4.69%

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

Last update for Tempe, AZ: October 12, 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

Tempe, AZ

$1.5K 50.7%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 114% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Tempe, AZ

$431 15%

New York, NY

$545 11% 26.6% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tempe, AZ

$380 13.2%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 4.1% $16

Eating Out

Tempe, AZ

$327 11.4%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 23.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Tempe, AZ

$143 5%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 20.2% $29

Getting Around

Tempe, AZ

$82 2.8%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 104% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Tempe, AZ

$58 2%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 192% $111

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,894 in Tempe, AZ 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 35% 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 $82.0 in Tempe, AZ versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $545 – making Tempe, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tempe, AZ

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

06:10 6:10 AM

3 h ahead of Tempe, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,719

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

Tempe, AZ New York, NY 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tempe, 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

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

New York, NY costs about 72% more than Tempe, 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 $4,320 per month in Tempe, AZ 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 Tempe, AZ, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,107 per month in Tempe, AZ 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 27% 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.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,880 in Tempe, AZ 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. Tempe, AZ costs $2,880 versus $4,950 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 Tempe, 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.