It can be. And it may not be. Every borough has more expensive areas and less expensive areas. NYC real estate is mostly determined by distance from midtown Manhattan, and Staten Island is rather far from midtown plus itu2019s only accessible to the area by ferry and then subway (and most people have to take the SIRR to start their trip just to get to the ferry). This distance and lack of accessibility would make much of the island less in demand and thus more affordable. But on the other hand, the borough is closer to lower Manhattan and offers a relatively easy commute to downtown (compared to say the North Bronx) and that makes areas in the northern part of the island near the ferry more desirable. Other factors that make the island desirable is the abundance of nature on the island (the Green Belt, etc). You also have traditionally wealthy neighborhoods like Todt Hill and other similar areas where real estate remains very high. So donu2019t think of any one borough as being the most expensive and one being the least. Well obviously, much of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn can definitely be classified as the most expensive areas, not only in New York but in the whole country, but the remaining areas of those boroughs along with the other three will have a lot of variation depending on the type of dwelling, neighborhood, safety, amenities, distance from midtown, public transit options, and school district. Compare apples to apples in each borough and youu2019ll find what areas are likely to meet your budget.