Cost of Living in Syracuse, NY, United States

Updated On July 28, 2023

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 Index:
74.2
* Based on Research & User Data
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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$.

Cost of Living Averages Table for Syracuse, NY

*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.
Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant)$15.60
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter)$5.00
Water (0.33 Liter)$1.82
Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter)$0.94
Loaf Bread (500g)$3.98
Eggs (12)$4.40
Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket$3.00
Monthly Pass$127.00
Gasoline$0.96
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
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
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
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 RISK: MEDIUM
  • TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
  • PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
  • NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
  • MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
  • TERRORISM RISK: LOW
  • SCAMS RISK: LOW
  • WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Cost of Living by City in Syracuse, NY

CityCost of Living Index
Albany, NY72.4
Albuquerque, NM72.4
Anchorage, AK72.4
Ann Arbor, MI72.4
Arlington, TX72.4
Asheville, NC72.4
Atlanta, GA72.4
Austin, TX72.4
Bakersfield, CA72.4
Baltimore, MD72.4
Bellevue, WA72.4
Bellingham, WA72.4
Berkeley, CA72.4
Birmingham, AL72.4
Boise, ID72.4
Boston, MA72.4
Boulder, CO72.4
Brooklyn, NY72.4
Buffalo, NY72.4
Burlington, VT72.4
Charleston, SC72.4
Charlotte, NC73.33
Chattanooga, TN72.4
Chicago, IL72.4
Cincinnati, OH72.4
Cleveland, OH72.4
Columbia, SC72.4
Columbus, OH72.4
Dallas, TX72.4
Dayton, OH72.4
Denver, CO72.4
Des Moines, IA72.4
Detroit, MI72.4
El Paso, TX72.4
Eugene, OR72.4
Everett, WA72.4
Fayetteville, AR72.4
Fort Myers, FL72.4
Fort Wayne, IN72.4
Fort Worth, TX72.4
Fresno, CA74.2
Gainesville, FL74.2
Grand Rapids, MI74.2
Greensboro, NC74.2
Hartford, CT74.2
Honolulu, HI74.2
Houston, TX74.2
Huntsville, AL74.2
Indianapolis, IN74.2
Irvine, CA74.2
Jacksonville, FL74.2
Jersey City, NJ74.2
Kansas City, MO74.2
Knoxville, TN74.2
Las Vegas, NV74.2
Lexington, KY74.2
Little Rock, AR74.2
Long Beach, CA74.2
Los Angeles, CA74.2
Louisville, KY74.2
Lubbock, TX74.2
Madison, WI74.2
Memphis, TN74.2
Miami, FL74.2
Milwaukee, WI74.2
Minneapolis, MN74.2
Nashville, TN74.2
New Orleans, LA74.2
New York, NY74.2
Oakland, CA74.2
Oklahoma City, OK74.2
Olympia, WA74.2
Orlando, FL74.2
Peoria, IL72.4
Philadelphia, PA72.4
Phoenix, AZ72.4
Pittsburgh, PA72.4
Portland, ME72.4
Portland, OR72.4
Raleigh, NC72.4
Reno, NV72.4
Richmond, VA74.2
Rochester, NY74.2
Sacramento, CA74.2
Saint Louis, MO74.2
Saint Paul, MN74.2
Saint Petersburg, FL74.2
Salem, OR74.2
Salt Lake City, UT74.2
San Antonio, TX74.2
San Diego, CA74.2
San Francisco, CA74.2
San Jose, CA74.2
Santa Barbara, CA74.2
Santa Rosa, CA74.2
Seattle, WA74.2
Spokane, WA74.2
Springfield, MO74.2
Tacoma, WA74.2
Tallahassee, FL74.2
Tampa, FL74.2
Toledo, OH74.2
Tucson, AZ74.2
Tulsa, OK74.2
Vancouver, WA74.2
Virginia Beach, VA74.2
Washington, DC74.2
West Palm Beach, FL74.2
Wichita, KS74.2

Where to Next?

See these related locations:

Or, browse the country/city indexes:

Cost of Living - Country Index Cost of Living - City Index

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