Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Geneva, IL: $2,350 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Geneva, IL
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Geneva, IL Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Geneva, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,350

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geneva, 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 Geneva, IL and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,350 per month in Geneva, IL vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Geneva, IL $2,350
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Geneva, IL vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Geneva, IL $3,481
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $4,612 per month in Geneva, IL vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Geneva, IL $4,612
New York, NY $9,608

Geneva, IL is about 52% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Geneva, IL and New York, NY sit above the global median – Geneva, IL by 73%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.21 $14.21

$24.99 $24.99

-43.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 $68.2

$120 $120

-43.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$13.74 $13.74

-11.72%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$6.60 $6.60

-18.48%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$3.82 $3.82

-20.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.87 $2.87

-20.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$7.95 $7.95

-22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 $8.01

$10.06 $10.06

-20.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.37 $1.37

-43.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 $2.74

$4.75 $4.75

-42.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$7.69 $7.69

-62.03%

Eggs

$3.44 $3.44

$5.87 $5.87

-41.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.63 $7.63

$19.25 $19.25

-60.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.55 $11.55

$17.83 $17.83

-35.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.52 $10.52

$19.03 $19.03

-44.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.69 $6.69

-29.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.29 $2.29

-27.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$6.41 $6.41

-43.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$6.75 $6.75

-28.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.93 $3.93

-54.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.52 $4.52

-34.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.79 $2.79

-42.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.51 $2.51

-3.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.69 $10.69

$18.10 $18.10

-40.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$20.16 $20.16

-59.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.26 $3.26

-45.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.75 $3.75

19.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.92 $2.92

-24.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.06 $3.06

33.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.16 $2.16

-6.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.12 $44.12

$41.33 $41.33

6.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$33.1K $33.1K

-25.07%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.7K $25.7K

0.75%

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

$176 $176

$219 $219

-19.90%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$75.3 $75.3

-30.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$70.5 $70.5

-4.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.52 $35.52

$116 $116

-69.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$11.86 $11.86

$21.37 $21.37

-44.50%

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

$1,528 $1,528

$3,432 $3,432

-55.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$61.7K $61.7K

-61.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$74.9 $74.9

-25.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$52.1 $52.1

-2.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$117 $117

-24.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$135 $135

-9.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 $1,820

$4,347 $4,347

-58.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 $1,221

$3,117 $3,117

-60.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 $2,229

$9,110 $9,110

-75.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 $2,128

$5,379 $5,379

-60.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,121 $3,121

$19.3K $19.3K

-83.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,190 $2,190

$6,943 $6,943

-68.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.85

-6.13%

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

Last update for Geneva, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geneva, IL

$1.2K 52%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 155% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Geneva, IL

$326 13.9%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 69.5% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva, IL

$295 12.6%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 23.6% $70

Eating Out

Geneva, IL

$283 12%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 43.9% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva, IL

$143 6.1%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 19.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva, IL

$59 2.5%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 167% $99

Getting Around

Geneva, IL

$23 * 1%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 633% $145

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,820 in Geneva, IL versus $4,347 in New York, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Geneva, IL versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $552 – making Geneva, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Geneva, IL

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

21:50 9:50 PM

1 h ahead of Geneva, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,812

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Geneva, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,350 in Geneva, IL, $4,938 in New York, NY – roughly 110% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,524 per month in Geneva, IL and $7,407 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Geneva, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,350 in Geneva, IL and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 110%.

Kindergarten costs $1,528 per month in Geneva, IL and $3,432 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,350 in Geneva, IL and $4,938 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,350 in Geneva, IL to $4,938 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Geneva, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.