Short answer: - rent is a bit higher than other high-profile cities, but significantly less (by a third, some say) than SF - other costs vary widely, but depe

Short answer: - rent is a bit higher than other high-profile cities, but significantly less (by a third, some say) than SF - other costs vary widely, but depend on how "sweet" you want your lifestyle to be (just like anywhere else). But surprisingly, in terms of food, drink, and cultural offerings, on a day-to-day basis you can actually live in NYC quite cheaply (if you know where to go and what to look for).