Question 1

Is New York or Oakland cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

New York, NY is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $611/month less than in Oakland, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,910/mo in New York versus $2,912/mo in Oakland.

Question 2

What salary do you need in New York vs Oakland?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $121,000/year before tax in New York, NY and $130,000/year in Oakland, CA — a difference of about $9,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is New York or Oakland cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

New York, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $9,750/month in New York and $12,207/month in Oakland, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to New York or Oakland?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. New York costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	New York41	Oakland36
Est. monthly cost (single)	$5,741	$6,352
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$9,750	$12,207
Salary for comfort	$121,000/yr	$130,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,910	$2,912
Median home value	$751,700	$924,700
Median household income	$79,713	$97,369
Unemployment	5.2%	4.1%
Housing score	3	8
Jobs score	36	39
Safety score	47	0
Climate score	96	100
Amenities score	40	71
Population	8.5M	438.1K
Summer high / winter low	86° / 23°	72° / 44°

New York, NY vs Oakland, CA