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Maui vs New York cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Maui
๐บ๐ธ New York
At a glance
- Where New York is clearly cheaper: Half-day tour (38%โ), Laundry (36%โ), Street food (33%โ)
- Where Maui is clearly cheaper: Transit (33%โ), Studio rent (month) (33%โ), Restaurant dinner (18%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Maui 3 vs New York 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Maui | New York | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 18$18 | $ 20$20 | Maui โ10% |
| Street food1 item | $ 15$15 | $ 10$10 | New York โ33% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 45$45 | $ 55$55 | Maui โ18% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.5$5.5 | $ 6$6 | Maui โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 8$8 | $ 9$9 | Maui โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 16$16 | $ 19$19 | Maui โ16% |
| Bottled water | $ 2.5$2.5 | $ 2$2 | New York โ20% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | $ 3$3 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 20$20 | $ 23$23 | Maui โ13% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 15$15 | $ 14$14 | New York โ7% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2$2 | $ 3$3 | Maui โ33% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 70$70 | $ 68$68 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 250$250 | $ 270$270 | Maui โ7% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 2,200$2,200 | $ 3,300$3,300 | Maui โ33% |
| Laundry | $ 7$7 | $ 4.5$4.5 | New York โ36% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 25$25 | $ 30$30 | Maui โ17% |
| Haircutcut | $ 35$35 | $ 42$42 | Maui โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 130$130 | $ 100$100 | New York โ23% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 130$130 | $ 80$80 | New York โ38% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 30$30 | $ 30$30 | similar |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Maui or New York?
Maui is 15% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $420 vs $467; a month $8,357 vs $10,297.
Which is easier to travel, Maui or New York?
About the same: Maui 1.8/5, New York 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Maui and New York?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Maui is about $8,357 and New York about $10,297 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.