Moving to New York from Washington
What to Expect
Considering a move from Washington to New York? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Washington to New York, you would find that New York is 3.4% more expensive than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly $77,403 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Washington and New York.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $77,403
To maintain the same standard of living in New York
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 4.3% less
Groceries
pay 7.5% more
Transportation
pay 7.7% more
Housing
pay 0.2% more
Childcare
pay 3.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.5% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in New York cost about 4% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in New York compared to Washington.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Washington generally does better on safety, though New York leads in property crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New York leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
New York generally does better on what about housing?, though Washington leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Washington performs better than New York across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though New York leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington generally does better on family life, though New York leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Olympia | Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Olympia | Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) | 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) |
| Feb | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) | 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) |
| Mar | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) | 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) |
| Apr | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) | 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) |
| May | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) | 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) |
| Jun | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) |
| Sep | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) | 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) | 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) |
| Nov | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) | 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New York than Washington?
On average New York is around 3% pricier than Washington, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to New York?
Budget about $19,351 for 3 months in New York (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is New York safe?
Washington generally does better on safety, though New York leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in New York compared to Washington?
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New York leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in New York compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 60°F in Olympia. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Olympia gets 50.0 in.
