City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bellingham | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,385/mo | $1,714/mo | 19.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $528,600 | $732,100 | 27.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $64,026 | $76,607 | 16.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.7 | 108.1 | 3.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 107.4 | 133.1 | 19.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.0 | 104.3 | 3.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.9 | 104.1 | 3.1% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bellingham, you'd need $116,653 in New York to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bellingham, WA is about 14.3% cheaper overall than New York, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Bellingham than in New York. If you earn $80,000 in Bellingham, you'd need about $93,322 in New York to keep the same standard of living.