What is the cheapest city to live in New York?

Buffalo, NY — estimated essentials for a single person run about $4,031/month, with typical rent around $1,343/mo. Living comfortably there takes roughly $75,500/year before tax.

Does New York have a state income tax?

Yes. We model an effective 4.7% state income tax at middle incomes, on top of a combined state and average local sales tax of about 8.5%.

State guide

Cost of living in New York

4 New York cities in the dataset, ranked cheapest first. We model an effective 4.7% state income tax at middle incomes. Combined state + average local sales tax runs about 8.5%.

Cities covered

Median rent

$1,652/mo

Median est. cost

$4,312/mo

State income tax

≈4.7%