Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Williamsburg, VA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Williamsburg, VA: $2,819 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Williamsburg, VA
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Williamsburg, VA Living Index
239

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

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Williamsburg, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,819

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,819 per month in Williamsburg, VA vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Williamsburg, VA $2,819
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $4,192 per month in Williamsburg, VA vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Williamsburg, VA $4,192
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $5,566 per month in Williamsburg, VA vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Williamsburg, VA $5,566
New York, NY $9,608

Williamsburg, VA is about 43% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Williamsburg, VA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Williamsburg, VA by 108%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.86 $18.86

$24.99 $24.99

-24.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$120 $120

-36.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.80 $12.80

$13.74 $13.74

-6.84%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$6.60 $6.60

-14.55%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$3.82 $3.82

-27.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.87 $2.87

-26.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$7.95 $7.95

-35.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 $7.43

$10.06 $10.06

-26.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.37 $1.37

-19.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.75 $4.75

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$7.69 $7.69

-49.67%

Eggs

$3.49 $3.49

$5.87 $5.87

-40.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$19.25 $19.25

-31.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 $8.23

$17.83 $17.83

-53.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 $14.66

$19.03 $19.03

-22.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$6.69 $6.69

-15.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$2.29 $2.29

-41.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$6.41 $6.41

-26.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$6.75 $6.75

-50.07%

Potato (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$3.93 $3.93

43.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.52 $4.52

-26.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.79 $2.79

-44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.51 $2.51

-28.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 $6.56

$18.10 $18.10

-63.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 $10.59

$20.16 $20.16

-47.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.26 $3.26

-31.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.75 $3.75

-1.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.92 $2.92

-47.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.81 $44.81

$143 $143

-68.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.06 $3.06

-0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.16 $2.16

-34.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.73 $22.73

$41.33 $41.33

-45.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.12 $1.12

-25.00%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$33.1K $33.1K

7.79%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.7K $25.7K

-1.33%

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

$186 $186

$219 $219

-15.06%

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

$47.66 $47.66

$75.3 $75.3

-36.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 $59.7

$70.5 $70.5

-15.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.5 $93.5

$116 $116

-19.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.79 $24.79

$67.6 $67.6

-63.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$21.37 $21.37

-31.02%

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

$1,887 $1,887

$3,432 $3,432

-45.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$61.7K $61.7K

-60.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.56 $37.56

$74.9 $74.9

-49.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.37 $35.37

$52.1 $52.1

-32.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 $85.7

$117 $117

-26.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$135 $135

15.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 $2,290

$4,347 $4,347

-47.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 $1,517

$3,117 $3,117

-51.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 $2,670

$9,110 $9,110

-70.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 $2,651

$5,379 $5,379

-50.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,168 $2,168

$19.3K $19.3K

-88.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,727 $1,727

$6,943 $6,943

-75.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,462 $4,462

$5,238 $5,238

-14.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.85

-5.11%

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

Last update for Williamsburg, VA: October 20, 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

Williamsburg, VA

$1.5K 53.8%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 106% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Williamsburg, VA

$366 13%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 50.9% $186

Eating Out

Williamsburg, VA

$317 11.2%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 28.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Williamsburg, VA

$294 10.4%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 24.4% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Williamsburg, VA

$141 5%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 20.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Williamsburg, VA

$123 4.4%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 28.7% $35

Getting Around

Williamsburg, VA

$61 2.2%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 175% $107

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,290 in Williamsburg, VA 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.

Salaries run about 17% 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 $76.0 in Williamsburg, VA versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $366 vs $552 – making Williamsburg, VA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Williamsburg, VA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

Same time as Williamsburg, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,425

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Williamsburg, VA New York, NY 430 km

From you

Williamsburg, VA
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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

Williamsburg, VA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 75% more than Williamsburg, VA, 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 $4,228 per month in Williamsburg, VA 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 Williamsburg, VA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,887 per month in Williamsburg, VA 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.

Groceries cost about 51% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,819 in Williamsburg, VA 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. Williamsburg, VA costs $2,819 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 Williamsburg, VA. 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.