Buffalo, NY

Cost of Living in Buffalo, NY (2026): Rent, Utilities & Take-Home

$3,034/mo in Buffalo. $2,531 left each month. Prices 7% below the US average.

Compare vs Chicago Rank metros from BuffaloHow we figure this

Monthly costs

Take-home $5,565/mo.

Taxes$1,861
Rent$1,169
Other living costs$1,865
Left over$2,531

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $89,119
Federal income tax: −$11,220
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,818
State income tax (NY): −$4,299
Take-home pay: $66,782
Effective tax rate: 25.1%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,169
Groceries: $372
Getting around: $517
Healthcare: $419
Utilities and internet: $233
Everything else: $326
Total spending: $3,034

Left over each month

$7,427 gross, minus $1,861 in tax and $3,034 in living costs.

$2,531

Average electric bill in New York

About $238 a month for a household using 900 kWh. That is the EIA residential price for New York in 2025, 26.39¢ per kWh. It is a state average, not a Buffalo utility bill, and the utilities line in the monthly costs above already includes a modelled power cost.

Moving from Buffalo

Buffalo → New York · $1,284 less

Cost of Living in Buffalo, NY (2026): Rent, Utilities & Take-Home

Monthly costs

Pay and tax, per year

Living costs, per month

Average electric bill in New York

Moving from Buffalo

Take-home by job in Buffalo

Other New York metros

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