Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lansing, IL: $2,529 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $28,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lansing, IL, United States
New York, NY, United States
Lansing, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,529
/mo nomad
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,941
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,529 per month in Lansing, IL vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Lansing, IL $2,529
  • New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $3,753 per month in Lansing, IL vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Lansing, IL $3,753
  • New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $4,977 per month in Lansing, IL vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Lansing, IL $4,977
  • New York, NY $9,509

Lansing, IL is about 49% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lansing, IL and New York, NY sit above the global median – Lansing, IL by 86%, New York, NY by 263%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lansing, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.70 $19.70
$28.55 $28.55
-31.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.4 $75.4
$118 $118
-36.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.29 $11.29
$15.04 $15.04
-24.93%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$6.53 $6.53
-16.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 $2.61
$3.96 $3.96
-34.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 $2.06
$3.01 $3.01
-31.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.96 $5.96
$8.16 $8.16
-26.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.03 $7.03
$9.84 $9.84
-28.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lansing, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.37 $1.37
-27.01%
White Bread (500g)
$3.47 $3.47
$4.97 $4.97
-30.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.23 $4.23
$7.81 $7.81
-45.84%
Eggs
$4.12 $4.12
$5.97 $5.97
-30.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.78 $12.78
$18.91 $18.91
-32.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.76 $11.76
$18.04 $18.04
-34.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 $16.87
$19.05 $19.05
-11.44%
Apples (1kg)
$4.99 $4.99
$6.76 $6.76
-26.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$2.27 $2.27
-28.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$6.83 $6.83
-36.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.62 $4.62
$7.09 $7.09
-34.84%
Potato (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$4.22 $4.22
-35.07%
Onion (1kg)
$2.92 $2.92
$4.65 $4.65
-37.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 $2.20
$2.87 $2.87
-23.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.21 $2.21
$2.60 $2.60
-15.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.07 $10.07
$18.77 $18.77
-46.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.11 $15.11
$20.13 $20.13
-24.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.00 $2.00
$3.45 $3.45
-42.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.35 $3.35
$4.02 $4.02
-16.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Lansing, IL
New York, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 $1.98
$2.91 $2.91
-31.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.5 $63.5
$139 $139
-54.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.27 $3.27
$3.08 $3.08
6.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 $1.86
$2.12 $2.12
-12.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.02 $29.02
$41.96 $41.96
-30.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.17 $1.17
-5.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K $28.4K
$34.5K $34.5K
-17.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$25.9K $25.9K
2.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lansing, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 $203
$219 $219
-7.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.7 $50.7
$74.2 $74.2
-31.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.4 $74.4
$70.2 $70.2
6.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lansing, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.95 $38.95
$112 $112
-65.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$74.9 $74.9
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.62 $13.62
$22.14 $22.14
-38.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lansing, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,389 $1,389
$3,558 $3,558
-60.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.6K $20.6K
$62.2K $62.2K
-66.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lansing, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.7 $54.7
$75.6 $75.6
-27.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.20 $40.20
$51.2 $51.2
-21.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.4 $92.4
$123 $123
-25.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$140 $140
-23.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lansing, IL
New York, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,569 $1,569
$4,499 $4,499
-65.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 $1,201
$3,078 $3,078
-60.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,905 $2,905
$9,447 $9,447
-69.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,066 $2,066
$5,190 $5,190
-60.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,665 $2,665
$18.1K $18.1K
-85.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,254 $2,254
$6,693 $6,693
-66.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lansing, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,161 $3,161
$5,220 $5,220
-39.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
6.86
-4.23%

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

Last update for Lansing, IL: October 27, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lansing, IL
$1.2K
New York, NY
$3.1K 156% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
Lansing, IL
$398
New York, NY
$563 41.6% $165
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lansing, IL
$328
New York, NY
$364 11% $36
Eating Out
Lansing, IL
$320
New York, NY
$440 37.8% $121
Clothing & Footwear
Lansing, IL
$132
New York, NY
$175 32.5% $43
Getting Around
Lansing, IL
$84
New York, NY
$164 95.5% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Lansing, IL
$66
New York, NY
$156 136% $90

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,569 in Lansing, IL versus $4,499 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.

Salaries run about 65% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Lansing, IL versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $563 – making Lansing, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Lansing, IL
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🕒 Local time
15:00 3:00 PM
16:00 4:00 PM
1 h ahead of Lansing, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
112,644
8,804,190
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lansing, IL New York, NY 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lansing, 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
Lansing, IL vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lansing, IL cheaper than New York, NY?
Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,793 per month in Lansing, IL and $7,412 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lansing, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,569 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 54% less in Lansing, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,389 per month in Lansing, IL and $3,558 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Lansing, IL or in New York, NY?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,529 in Lansing, IL and $4,941 in New York, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Lansing, IL or New York, NY more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lansing, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lansing, IL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Lansing, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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