Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waunakee, WI and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Waunakee, WI: $2,718 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Waunakee, WI
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Waunakee, WI Living Index
239

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

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Waunakee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,718

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,718 per month in Waunakee, WI vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Waunakee, WI $2,718
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $3,864 per month in Waunakee, WI vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Waunakee, WI $3,864
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $5,010 per month in Waunakee, WI vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Waunakee, WI $5,010
New York, NY $9,608

Waunakee, WI is about 45% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Waunakee, WI and New York, NY sit above the global median – Waunakee, WI by 101%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$24.99 $24.99

-19.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$120 $120

-33.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 $12.75

$13.74 $13.74

-7.21%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$6.60 $6.60

-12.88%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$3.82 $3.82

-19.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.87 $2.87

-21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$7.95 $7.95

-10.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.24 $8.24

$10.06 $10.06

-18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.37 $1.37

-27.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.75 $4.75

-19.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$7.69 $7.69

-43.30%

Eggs

$3.73 $3.73

$5.87 $5.87

-36.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.30 $14.30

$19.25 $19.25

-25.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$17.83 $17.83

-26.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 $18.47

$19.03 $19.03

-2.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$6.69 $6.69

-30.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.29 $2.29

-28.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$6.41 $6.41

-35.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.75 $6.75

-26.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.93 $3.93

-31.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$4.52 $4.52

-40.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.79 $2.79

-25.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.51 $2.51

-3.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.75 $10.75

$18.10 $18.10

-40.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.96 $14.96

$20.16 $20.16

-25.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.26 $3.26

-19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.75 $3.75

-10.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.92 $2.92

-24.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.06 $3.06

4.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.16 $2.16

-33.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.97 $24.97

$41.33 $41.33

-39.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.12 $1.12

-3.57%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$33.1K $33.1K

-9.41%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

2.27%

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

$190 $190

$219 $219

-13.30%

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

$68.2 $68.2

$75.3 $75.3

-9.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 $69.3

$70.5 $70.5

-1.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.22 $42.22

$116 $116

-63.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$21.37 $21.37

-29.29%

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

$1,681 $1,681

$3,432 $3,432

-51.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$61.7K $61.7K

-61.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 $64.1

$74.9 $74.9

-14.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$52.1 $52.1

-1.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 $100.0

$117 $117

-14.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$135 $135

-8.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 $1,486

$4,347 $4,347

-65.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 $1,386

$3,117 $3,117

-55.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 $2,665

$9,110 $9,110

-70.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 $2,045

$5,379 $5,379

-61.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,616 $2,616

$19.3K $19.3K

-86.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,419 $2,419

$6,943 $6,943

-65.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.85

-2.34%

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

Last update for Waunakee, WI: October 18, 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

Waunakee, WI

$1.4K 51%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 125% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Waunakee, WI

$420 15.5%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 31.5% $132

Eating Out

Waunakee, WI

$341 12.5%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 19.4% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waunakee, WI

$328 12.1%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 11.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Waunakee, WI

$152 5.6%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 11.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Waunakee, WI

$72 2.7%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 119% $86

Getting Around

Waunakee, WI

$19 * 0.7%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 778% $149

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,486 in Waunakee, WI 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Waunakee, WI versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $552 – making Waunakee, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waunakee, WI

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

22:34 10:34 PM

1 h ahead of Waunakee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,879

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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Between locations

Waunakee, WI New York, NY 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Waunakee, WI
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

Waunakee, WI vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 82% more than Waunakee, WI, 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 $4,077 per month in Waunakee, WI 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 Waunakee, WI, 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 $2,718 in Waunakee, WI and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 82%.

Kindergarten costs $1,681 per month in Waunakee, WI 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 $2,718 in Waunakee, WI 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. Waunakee, WI costs $2,718 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 Waunakee, WI. 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.