What is the average rent in New York?

A 1-bedroom apartment in New York city centre costs approximately USD 4,471 per month. Outside the centre, rent drops to USD 3,218 (saving 28%). A 3-bedroom apartment in the centre costs around USD 8,992.

Is New York affordable to live in?

New York is very expensive by global standards. Groceries are very expensive, restaurants are very expensive, and local purchasing power is very weak.

🇺🇸 NY, United States · 2026

Cost of Living in New York

Q: How expensive is New York compared to the rest of United States?

New York ranks #2 out of 577 cities globally. It is 73.3% more expensive than the United States average, based on 82 cities. The rent index is 100.0 and local purchasing power is 100.0.

73.3% above the United States average

Ranked #2 of 577 cities · More expensive than 99.7% of cities worldwide

+73.3%

Cost of Living

+142.1%

Rent

+25.0%

Groceries

-30.7%

Purchasing Power

Compared to United States average · See United States ranking →

Rent Prices in New York

Apartment	City Centre	Outside Centre	You Save
1-Bedroom	USD 4,471/mo	USD 3,218/mo	28%
3-Bedroom	USD 8,992/mo	USD 5,461/mo	39%

Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Prices of Goods & Services in New York

Groceries

Item	Price	Sources
Apples (1kg)	$7.10	2 sources
Beer (0.5L, supermarket)	$4.66	2 sources
Bread (500g)	$4.50	2 sources
Local cheese (1kg)	$17.94	2 sources
Chicken (1kg)	$15.75	2 sources
Cigarettes (Marlboro)	$18.50	2 sources
Eggs (12)	$7.90	2 sources
Milk (1L)	$1.44	2 sources
Potatoes (1kg)	$3.21	2 sources
Tomatoes (1kg)	$6.57	2 sources
Water (1.5L)	$2.56	1 source
Wine (mid-range)	$19.00	2 sources

Apples (1kg)

$7.10

Beer (0.5L, supermarket)

$4.66

Bread (500g)

$4.50

Local cheese (1kg)

$17.94

Chicken (1kg)

$15.75

Cigarettes (Marlboro)

$18.50

Eggs (12)

$7.90

Milk (1L)

$1.44

Potatoes (1kg)

$3.21

Tomatoes (1kg)

$6.57

Water (1.5L)

$2.56

Wine (mid-range)

$19.00

Restaurants

Item	Price	Sources
Draft beer (0.5L)	$8.50	2 sources
Cappuccino	$5.82	2 sources
McMeal	$13.50	2 sources
Cheap meal	$27.00	2 sources
Mid-range dinner (2 people)	$155.50	2 sources

Draft beer (0.5L)

$8.50

Cappuccino

$5.82

McMeal

$13.50

Cheap meal

$27.00

Mid-range dinner (2 people)

$155.50

Clothing & Shoes

Item	Price	Sources
Business shoes (leather)	$181.15	2 sources
Jeans (Levi's 501)	$65.85	2 sources
Sport shoes (Nike)	$115.44	2 sources
Summer dress (Zara/H&M)	$51.63	2 sources

Business shoes (leather)

$181.15

Jeans (Levi's 501)

$65.85

Sport shoes (Nike)

$115.44

Summer dress (Zara/H&M)

$51.63

Leisure

Item	Price	Sources
Cinema ticket	$20.25	2 sources
Gym membership	$142.20	2 sources

Cinema ticket

$20.25

Gym membership

$142.20

Transportation

Item	Price	Sources
Gasoline (1L)	$0.89	2 sources
Taxi start	$3.00	1 source
Monthly pass	$131.75	2 sources

Gasoline (1L)

$0.89

Taxi start

$3.00

Monthly pass

$131.75

Utilities

Item	Price	Sources
Basic utilities (85m²)	$227.59	2 sources

Basic utilities (85m²)

$227.59

Prices in local currency, cross-referenced from multiple independent sources. October 2026.

Multi-Source Comparison

★★★ High Confidence

New York has a cost of living index of 100.0 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 4 of 4 data sources.

100.0

Index

Sources

0.0

Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo

100.0

Expatistan

100.0

LivingCost

100.0

ShouldIMove price index

100.0

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

Eurostat Validation (EU27 = 100) Gov. Data

Eurostat

140.4

Based on 108 country PLI x 1.3 city factor

View all 577 cities | Data collected: Numbeo October 2026 · Expatistan March 2026 · LivingCost October 2026 · SIM index March 2026

Cost Indices

Cost of Living

+73.3% Very expensive

Rent

+142.1% Very expensive

Groceries

+25.0% Very expensive

Restaurants

+22.2% Very expensive

Purchasing Power

-30.7% Very weak

Living in New York: What to Expect

New York is very expensive by global standards (ranked #2 of 577 cities). It is 73.3% more expensive than the United States average, based on 82 cities.

Groceries are very expensive and dining out is very expensive. The best value is restaurants and the priciest is rent.

Cost of Living in New York

Rent Prices in New York

Prices of Goods & Services in New York

Groceries

Restaurants

Clothing & Shoes

Leisure

Transportation

Utilities

Multi-Source Comparison

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Cost Indices

Living in New York: What to Expect

How Does New York Compare?

Planning a Move to New York?