Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thousand Oaks, CA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Thousand Oaks, CA: $3,845 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

186

Cost of Living Index in Thousand Oaks, CA
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Thousand Oaks, CA Living Index
245

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

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Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,845

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,845 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $5,142 in New York, NY, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $3,845
New York, NY $5,142

A couple spends around $5,209 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $7,455 in New York, NY, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $5,209
New York, NY $7,455

A family of three spends $6,573 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $9,767 in New York, NY, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $6,573
New York, NY $9,767

Thousand Oaks, CA is about 25% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Thousand Oaks, CA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Thousand Oaks, CA by 187%, New York, NY by 284%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$26.46 $26.46

-5.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.3 $98.3

$119 $119

-17.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 $9.00

$14.43 $14.43

-37.63%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.55 $6.55

-14.05%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$3.84 $3.84

-26.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.00 $3.00

-32.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.27 $8.27

-3.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 $9.38

$10.05 $10.05

-6.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.31 $1.31

-9.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.98 $3.98

$4.90 $4.90

-18.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$7.16 $7.16

-50.00%

Eggs

$5.15 $5.15

$5.92 $5.92

-13.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 $12.54

$19.06 $19.06

-34.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.47 $20.47

$17.38 $17.38

17.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.65 $22.65

$18.94 $18.94

19.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$6.96 $6.96

-22.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.08 $2.08

-13.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$6.10 $6.10

-21.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$6.95 $6.95

-16.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.98 $3.98

-9.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$4.44 $4.44

-37.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.81 $2.81

-42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.51 $2.51

-9.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 $10.17

$19.27 $19.27

-47.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 $15.18

$19.67 $19.67

-22.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$3.08 $3.08

-45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.68 $3.68

-58.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.07 $3.07

44.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.13 $2.13

-10.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.32 $36.32

$41.21 $41.21

-11.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.11 $1.11

33.33%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

7.04%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.19%

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

$161 $161

$217 $217

-25.79%

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

$47.91 $47.91

$74.0 $74.0

-35.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$72.5 $72.5

-3.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 $66.1

$120 $120

-45.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.11 $22.11

$66.9 $66.9

-66.95%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$22.32 $22.32

-45.70%

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

$1,718 $1,718

$3,425 $3,425

-49.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K $42.2K

$61.2K $61.2K

-30.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.05 $49.05

$76.3 $76.3

-35.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.43 $29.43

$55.5 $55.5

-46.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 $79.1

$119 $119

-33.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$131 $131

-7.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,625 $2,625

$4,506 $4,506

-41.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 $2,493

$3,155 $3,155

-20.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,748 $3,748

$8,817 $8,817

-57.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,457 $3,457

$5,532 $5,532

-37.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 $5,777

$19.4K $19.4K

-70.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,858 $5,858

$6,754 $6,754

-13.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,925 $5,925

$5,290 $5,290

12.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.82

-2.64%

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

Last update for Thousand Oaks, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thousand Oaks, CA

$2.5K 64.8%

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2% 26.5% $661

Groceries & Markets

Thousand Oaks, CA

$472 12.3%

New York, NY

$546 11% 15.6% $74

Eating Out

Thousand Oaks, CA

$373 9.7%

New York, NY

$422 8.5% 13.2% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thousand Oaks, CA

$279 7.3%

New York, NY

$364 7.3% 30.4% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Thousand Oaks, CA

$125 3.3%

New York, NY

$172 3.4% 37.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Thousand Oaks, CA

$90 2.4%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 82.7% $75

Getting Around

Thousand Oaks, CA

$14 * 0.4%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 1084% $151

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,625 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $4,506 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 12% higher in Thousand Oaks, CA, 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 $98.0 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $119 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $472 vs $546 – making Thousand Oaks, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

08:32 8:32 AM

3 h ahead of Thousand Oaks, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,207

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Thousand Oaks, CA New York, NY 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Thousand Oaks, CA
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

Thousand Oaks, CA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 34% more than Thousand Oaks, CA, 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 $5,768 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA and $7,714 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 Thousand Oaks, CA, 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 $3,845 in Thousand Oaks, CA and $5,142 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 34%.

Kindergarten costs $1,718 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA and $3,425 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 $3,845 in Thousand Oaks, CA and $5,142 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. Thousand Oaks, CA costs $3,845 versus $5,142 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 Thousand Oaks, CA. 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.