Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elgin, IL and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,057 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $46,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Elgin, IL
Learn more

Elgin, IL Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,057

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elgin, IL and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Elgin, IL and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,057 in Elgin, IL versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Elgin, IL $1,057
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,633 in Elgin, IL versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Elgin, IL $2,633
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,209 in Elgin, IL versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Elgin, IL $4,209
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Elgin, IL costs roughly 79% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elgin, IL is 22% below, New York, NY is 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$28.55 $28.55

-28.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$118 $118

-50.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$15.04 $15.04

-33.91%

Cappuccino

$4.08 $4.08

$6.53 $6.53

-37.52%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.96 $3.96

-22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.01 $3.01

-32.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$8.16 $8.16

-26.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 $4.88

$9.84 $9.84

-50.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.37 $1.37

-36.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$4.97 $4.97

-29.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$7.81 $7.81

-46.86%

Eggs

$3.64 $3.64

$5.97 $5.97

-39.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 $11.13

$18.91 $18.91

-41.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.06 $13.06

$18.04 $18.04

-27.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 $11.98

$19.05 $19.05

-37.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$6.76 $6.76

-33.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.27 $2.27

-41.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$6.83 $6.83

-62.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$7.09 $7.09

-43.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$4.22 $4.22

-52.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$4.65 $4.65

-56.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.87 $2.87

-37.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.60 $2.60

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.58 $10.58

$18.77 $18.77

-43.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$20.13 $20.13

-21.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.45 $3.45

-21.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$4.02 $4.02

-11.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.08 $3.08

31.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.12 $2.12

-3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.57 $27.57

$41.96 $41.96

-34.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.17 $1.17

-11.11%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.2K $31.2K

$34.5K $34.5K

-9.58%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.25%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$98.8 $98.8

$219 $219

-54.97%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.3 $53.3

$74.2 $74.2

-28.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.92 $49.92

$70.2 $70.2

-28.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$15.10 $15.10

$22.14 $22.14

-31.80%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,656 $1,656

$3,558 $3,558

-53.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$62.2K $62.2K

-62.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.64 $40.64

$75.6 $75.6

-46.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$51.2 $51.2

-1.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 $99.6

$123 $123

-19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$140 $140

-14.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$9,447 $9,447

-77.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 $1,820

$5,190 $5,190

-64.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,201 $2,201

$18.1K $18.1K

-87.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,268 $2,268

$6,693 $6,693

-66.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,966 $3,966

$5,220 $5,220

-24.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.86

-2.48%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Elgin, IL

$368 34.9%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 52.8% $195

Eating Out

Elgin, IL

$302 28.6%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 45.8% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elgin, IL

$202 19.1%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 80.2% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Elgin, IL

$140 13.2%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 25.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.9%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 418% $126

Getting Around

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.4%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 1052% $150

Accommodation & Living

Elgin, IL

- * 0%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

New York, NY pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59 in Elgin, IL vs $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $563 per month, with Elgin, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

07:09 7:09 AM

1 h ahead of Elgin, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,603

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Elgin, IL New York, NY 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Elgin, IL
New York, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Elgin, IL vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elgin, IL is about 79% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Elgin, IL. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $1,656 in Elgin, IL versus $3,558 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elgin, IL – a meal for two runs $59 versus $118 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Elgin, IL versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elgin, IL but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Elgin, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Elgin, IL wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.