Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Naperville, IL: $2,811 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Naperville, IL, United States
New York, NY, United States
Naperville, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,811
/mo nomad
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,941
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,811 per month in Naperville, IL vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Naperville, IL $2,811
  • New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $3,990 per month in Naperville, IL vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Naperville, IL $3,990
  • New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $5,169 per month in Naperville, IL vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Naperville, IL $5,169
  • New York, NY $9,509

Naperville, IL is about 43% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Naperville, IL and New York, NY sit above the global median – Naperville, IL by 107%, New York, NY by 263%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Naperville, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.75 $13.75
$28.55 $28.55
-51.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.6 $75.6
$118 $118
-36.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.15 $12.15
$15.04 $15.04
-19.22%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$6.53 $6.53
-16.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 $3.00
$3.96 $3.96
-24.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 $2.38
$3.01 $3.01
-20.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.86 $5.86
$8.16 $8.16
-28.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.56 $8.56
$9.84 $9.84
-13.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Naperville, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.79 $0.79
$1.37 $1.37
-42.34%
White Bread (500g)
$2.75 $2.75
$4.97 $4.97
-44.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.92 $2.92
$7.81 $7.81
-62.61%
Eggs
$3.53 $3.53
$5.97 $5.97
-40.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.67 $7.67
$18.91 $18.91
-59.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.59 $11.59
$18.04 $18.04
-35.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.44 $10.44
$19.05 $19.05
-45.20%
Apples (1kg)
$5.60 $5.60
$6.76 $6.76
-17.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 $1.73
$2.27 $2.27
-23.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.48 $3.48
$6.83 $6.83
-49.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.42 $5.42
$7.09 $7.09
-23.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 $1.78
$4.22 $4.22
-57.82%
Onion (1kg)
$3.31 $3.31
$4.65 $4.65
-28.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 $1.69
$2.87 $2.87
-41.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.60 $2.60
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.09 $12.09
$18.77 $18.77
-35.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.47 $8.47
$20.13 $20.13
-57.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 $1.68
$3.45 $3.45
-51.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.05 $4.05
$4.02 $4.02
0.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Naperville, IL
New York, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.91 $2.91
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$131 $131
$139 $139
-5.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.66 $5.66
$3.08 $3.08
83.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.94 $2.94
$2.12 $2.12
38.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.52 $17.52
$41.96 $41.96
-58.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.17 $1.17
-11.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.0K $24.0K
$34.5K $34.5K
-30.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$25.9K $25.9K
-0.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Naperville, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$173 $173
$219 $219
-21.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.2 $51.2
$74.2 $74.2
-31.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.9 $50.9
$70.2 $70.2
-27.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Naperville, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.6 $70.6
$112 $112
-36.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.75 $14.75
$74.9 $74.9
-80.30%
Cinema Ticket
$12.20 $12.20
$22.14 $22.14
-44.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Naperville, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,499 $1,499
$3,558 $3,558
-57.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K $12.6K
$62.2K $62.2K
-79.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Naperville, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.8 $56.8
$75.6 $75.6
-24.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.94 $24.94
$51.2 $51.2
-51.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.1 $90.1
$123 $123
-26.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.0 $50.0
$140 $140
-64.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Naperville, IL
New York, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,003 $2,003
$4,499 $4,499
-55.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,605 $1,605
$3,078 $3,078
-47.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,281 $3,281
$9,447 $9,447
-65.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,464 $2,464
$5,190 $5,190
-52.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,261 $2,261
$18.1K $18.1K
-87.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,229 $2,229
$6,693 $6,693
-66.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Naperville, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,649 $6,649
$5,220 $5,220
27.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
6.86
-6.27%

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

Last update for Naperville, IL: October 24, 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
Naperville, IL
$1.6K
New York, NY
$3.1K 91.8% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Naperville, IL
$305 *
New York, NY
$563 84.6% $258
Eating Out
Naperville, IL
$280
New York, NY
$440 57.2% $160
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Naperville, IL
$275
New York, NY
$364 32.2% $89
Getting Around
Naperville, IL
$152 *
New York, NY
$164 8.4% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Naperville, IL
$100
New York, NY
$175 75.7% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Naperville, IL
$95
New York, NY
$156 64.5% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,003 in Naperville, 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 27% higher in Naperville, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Naperville, IL versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $563 – making Naperville, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Naperville, IL
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🕒 Local time
07:54 7:54 AM
08:54 8:54 AM
1 h ahead of Naperville, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,540
8,804,190
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Naperville, IL New York, NY 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Naperville, 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
Naperville, IL vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Naperville, IL or New York, NY?
New York, NY costs about 76% more than Naperville, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Naperville, IL and in New York, NY?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,217 per month in Naperville, IL and $7,412 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Naperville, IL or New York, NY?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Naperville, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,003 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.
How expensive is transport in Naperville, IL compared to New York, NY?
Public transport costs about 6% less in Naperville, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Naperville, IL and in New York, NY?
Kindergarten costs $1,499 per month in Naperville, 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.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Naperville, IL or in New York, NY?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,811 in Naperville, IL and $4,941 in New York, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Naperville, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Naperville, IL is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 43% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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