Cost of Living in Syracuse, NY, United States

Updated On December 19, 2025
Cost of Living Index:
74.2
* Based on Research & User Data

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Cost of Living in United States

How Much Does It Cost to Live in Syracuse, NY?

Syracuse is a city in Central New York, and it’s not too popular though it’s not far from NYC- only 3 hours of driving.

This applies to Niagara Falls, too.

Syracuse is one of the snowiest cities in the whole country.

The winters there are severe: the snow starts in late November and it can still be snowing in mid-April.

Housing prices are low, as is the cost of living (but don’t forget NY taxes) and it is surrounded by scenic areas.

There are many beautiful state parks in close driving distance.

Cost of Living Breakdown in Syracuse, NY

Restaurants

RESTAURANTS

Syracuse is a small/medium-sized city but there are lots of good restaurants and bars.

Apart from the bars and restaurants, you’ll find all the regular chain restaurants where you can eat for a couple of dollars.

Bear in mind that high menu prices are not necessarily indicative of food quality.

Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) $15.60
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) $5.00
Water (0.33 Liter) $1.82
Markets

MARKETS

There are as many as four major grocery chains that compete for your dollars in Syracuse, so you’ll definitely have options when it comes to grocery shopping.

There are also some farmer’s markets occasionally during the year, where you can buy a truckload of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter) $0.94
Loaf Bread (500g) $3.98
Eggs (12) $4.40
Transportation

TRANSPORTATION

If you want to save some money, there’s an alternative to driving – and it is to get around Syracuse by bicycle since most of the downtown area is relatively flat.

The bus fare is 3$, but be careful: if you have to transfer to another bus, always ask the bus driver for a transfer card so that you don’t get stuck paying double fares for the same trip.

Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket $3.00
Monthly Pass $127.00
Gasoline $0.96
Utilities

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

Utilities in Syracuse are a bit more expensive than utilities in other cities and areas.

They vary but you can calculate a rough 190$ per month which includes paying for trash, water, and sewer.

Don’t forget that the price of utilities does depend on the amount of electricity you use and on the size of your apartment.

Average Utilities Prices
Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) $190.94
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local $0.10
Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) $74.68
Sports and leisure

SPORTS & LEISURE

The downtown of Syracuse is pretty flat, as mentioned before, so you can bike around town and stay fit that way.

Though there isn’t too much nature, you can count on the city’s parks and flat streets – there are many opportunities for outdoor activities.

If you need to find a gym, pricing starts at around 40$ a month.

Average Leisure Prices
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult $40.97
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) $36.05
Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release $15.00
Clothing and shoes

CLOTHING & SHOES

There are some outstanding resorts and shopping malls in the area including some fantastic movie theaters.

One of these amazing shopping malls is, of course, one of the biggest malls in the country, Destiny USA.

Clothes from national chains cost the same as anywhere else: 55$ for quality jeans and around 90$ for running shoes.

Average Clothing Prices
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) $55.62
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) $40.7
1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) $90.74
Rent per month

RENT PER MONTH

The rent is somewhat cheap in Syracuse.

If you’re looking for a house in the very center of the city, then count on paying nearly 1,608.00$.

As always, it makes much of a difference where you are, since the apartments a bit further from the center cost considerably less than those in the city center: here, they are around 1,374.17$.

Average Rent Prices
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center $1608.00
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center $1374.17
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center $3658.83

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Syracuse, NY?

The biggest expense of living in Syracuse is food – as in most cities around the world.

Rent is the next big expense, taking a huge chunk of one’s entire income, which is still a high percentage and just goes to show how expensive rent is in this city.

Sport and staying fit takes, more or less, as much money as utilities from the people of Syracuse, percentage-wise.

As in almost all cities of the world, what takes the smallest amount of money are clothing and shoes.

Average Costs Breakdown

11.5%
28.9%
9.1%
7.3%
4.8%
1.7%
36.7%

Syracuse, NY: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

Unless you are moving to Syracuse and you already have a job lined up, it may be a struggle to find one upon your arrival.

The average monthly salary in Syracuse isn’t very high – around 3600$, and there’s a small gap between the average and minimum wage: the latter is just 1800$.

Luckily, the cost of living is also considerably lower than in other cities in the state, so people can get by on this salary without any problems.

Still, if you’re renting an apartment, your best bet is to cut some expenses in order to have enough for the whole month.

Average Salary$3576.75
Minimum Wage$1776.00
Mortgage Interest Rate6.29%

Syracuse Safety Overview

READ THE FULL REPORT: Syracuse Safety Review

Safety Index:
71
OVERALL RISKMEDIUM
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISKLOW
PICKPOCKETS RISKLOW
NATURAL DISASTERS RISKLOW
MUGGING RISKMEDIUM
TERRORISM RISKLOW
SCAMS RISKLOW
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISKLOW
TAP WATER RISKLOW

Cost of Living by City in United States

City Cost of Living Index
United States FlagAlbany, NY 72.4
United States FlagAlbuquerque, NM 72.4
United States FlagAnchorage, AK 72.4
United States FlagAnn Arbor, MI 72.4
United States FlagArlington, TX 72.4
United States FlagAsheville, NC 72.4
United States FlagAtlanta, GA 72.4
United States FlagAustin, TX 72.4
United States FlagBakersfield, CA 72.4
United States FlagBaltimore, MD 72.4
United States FlagBellevue, WA 72.4
United States FlagBellingham, WA 72.4
United States FlagBerkeley, CA 72.4
United States FlagBirmingham, AL 72.4
United States FlagBoise, ID 72.4
United States FlagBoston, MA 72.4
United States FlagBoulder, CO 72.4
United States FlagBrooklyn, NY 72.4
United States FlagBuffalo, NY 72.4
United States FlagBurlington, VT 72.4
United States FlagCharleston, SC 72.4
United States FlagCharlotte, NC 73.33
United States FlagChattanooga, TN 72.4
United States FlagChicago, IL 72.4
United States FlagCincinnati, OH 72.4
United States FlagCleveland, OH 72.4
United States FlagColumbia, SC 72.4
United States FlagColumbus, OH 72.4
United States FlagDallas, TX 72.4
United States FlagDayton, OH 72.4
United States FlagDenver, CO 72.4
United States FlagDes Moines, IA 72.4
United States FlagDetroit, MI 72.4
United States FlagEl Paso, TX 72.4
United States FlagEugene, OR 72.4
United States FlagEverett, WA 72.4
United States FlagFayetteville, AR 72.4
United States FlagFort Myers, FL 72.4
United States FlagFort Wayne, IN 72.4
United States FlagFort Worth, TX 72.4
United States FlagFresno, CA 74.2
United States FlagGainesville, FL 74.2
United States FlagGrand Rapids, MI 74.2
United States FlagGreensboro, NC 74.2
United States FlagHartford, CT 74.2
United States FlagHonolulu, HI 74.2
United States FlagHouston, TX 74.2
United States FlagHuntsville, AL 74.2
United States FlagIndianapolis, IN 74.2
United States FlagIrvine, CA 74.2
United States FlagJacksonville, FL 74.2
United States FlagJersey City, NJ 74.2
United States FlagKansas City, MO 74.2
United States FlagKnoxville, TN 74.2
United States FlagLas Vegas, NV 74.2
United States FlagLexington, KY 74.2
United States FlagLittle Rock, AR 74.2
United States FlagLong Beach, CA 74.2
United States FlagLos Angeles, CA 74.2
United States FlagLouisville, KY 74.2
United States FlagLubbock, TX 74.2
United States FlagMadison, WI 74.2
United States FlagMemphis, TN 74.2
United States FlagMiami, FL 74.2
United States FlagMilwaukee, WI 74.2
United States FlagMinneapolis, MN 74.2
United States FlagNashville, TN 74.2
United States FlagNew Orleans, LA 74.2
United States FlagNew York, NY 74.2
United States FlagOakland, CA 74.2
United States FlagOklahoma City, OK 74.2
United States FlagOlympia, WA 74.2
United States FlagOrlando, FL 74.2
United States FlagPeoria, IL 72.4
United States FlagPhiladelphia, PA 72.4
United States FlagPhoenix, AZ 72.4
United States FlagPittsburgh, PA 72.4
United States FlagPortland, ME 72.4
United States FlagPortland, OR 72.4
United States FlagRaleigh, NC 72.4
United States FlagReno, NV 72.4
United States FlagRichmond, VA 74.2
United States FlagRochester, NY 74.2
United States FlagSacramento, CA 74.2
United States FlagSaint Louis, MO 74.2
United States FlagSaint Paul, MN 74.2
United States FlagSaint Petersburg, FL 74.2
United States FlagSalem, OR 74.2
United States FlagSalt Lake City, UT 74.2
United States FlagSan Antonio, TX 74.2
United States FlagSan Diego, CA 74.2
United States FlagSan Francisco, CA 74.2
United States FlagSan Jose, CA 74.2
United States FlagSanta Barbara, CA 74.2
United States FlagSanta Rosa, CA 74.2
United States FlagSeattle, WA 74.2
United States FlagSpokane, WA 74.2
United States FlagSpringfield, MO 74.2
United States FlagTacoma, WA 74.2
United States FlagTallahassee, FL 74.2
United States FlagTampa, FL 74.2
United States FlagToledo, OH 74.2
United States FlagTucson, AZ 74.2
United States FlagTulsa, OK 74.2
United States FlagVancouver, WA 74.2
United States FlagVirginia Beach, VA 74.2
United States FlagWashington, DC 74.2
United States FlagWest Palm Beach, FL 74.2
United States FlagWichita, KS 74.2

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